Side By Side
by Gleekmom33
Summary: Our boys begin their journey as high school newlyweds. With much love comes many adventures. This is a continuation of my previous three stories. All hail Ryan Murphy. I don not own GLEE but cherish all about it. Peace!
1. Wedding Night

Blaine walked back over to their bed, and just watched Kurt for a few moments. Life with him was never going to be dull, that's for sure.

"Kurt, I need you to get back into this bed right now." He patted the empty space next to him, and Kurt rolled his eyes before heading back over to Blaine.

"What's with the face? Is it that horrible to climb in here with me?"

Kurt sighed and smiled at him. "Of course not. I just…get a little carried away sometimes…"

"No! Really?"

"No need to be mean about it, Blaine. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. I think it's adorable. Now get in here with me."

Kurt slid in next to Blaine, who put his arm around his shoulder, pulling him close. "You know, Kurt…this is my first time holding you in our bed as my husband. I'm not going to count the few seconds earlier when you jumped out."

As he ran his thumb across his bare shoulder, Kurt turned his head and looked up at Blaine. In that instant, Blaine thought that he felt time stop. He let out a sigh, which brought a smile to Kurt's face.

"Something wrong?"

"Kurt, I never want a day to go by without you looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"The "I want to be with you forever" look."

"I do. You know that. I tell you all the time so it can't possibly be news to you."

"I know. But that look…your eyes sometimes speak volumes more than that mouth ever could."

Kurt leaned up to kiss Blaine, wrapping his arm around his chest. He didn't think it would, but tonight, it felt…different. It felt grown up. It felt…permanent.

"I love you, Blaine. I love being…us. I love being here with you." Before Blaine had a chance to respond to what he had said, Kurt pressed his lips hard to his, causing a low moan deep in Blaine's throat.

"I love you Kurt. Every second of every day I love you more, if that's even possible." And he meant it. Each time he looked at Kurt's face, the softness of his mouth, the depth of those eyes, he felt his love grow.

Blaine now slid down so that he and Kurt were nose to nose, and he kissed his new husband, gently at first, then harder, as if he could not get enough of the taste of Kurt's lips. His eyes were closed, but he opened them slowly as Kurt slid

his left hand down and gently wrapped it around him.

They had touched each other like this a hundred times before, but Blaine could barely control his reaction as the chill of the gold of Kurt's wedding band touched his skin there…and as Kurt began to move his hand up and down on him, that ring…that symbol of their commitment to each other forever…the feeling of it and what it stood for caused Blaine to shudder and come completely undone. He and Kurt looked at each other for only a moment, and then he kissed him hard again. Within what felt like only seconds, Kurt smiled as he felt the warmth from within Blaine covering his fingers.

"I think right now I should feel flattered." Kurt still had his hand wrapped around him, and Blaine moved his hips slowing, wanting to touch Kurt but unable to move.

"I'm glad you're flattered, beautiful, because I am horrified." Blaine made a face that was something between shock and disappointment, which caused Kurt to chuckle out loud.

"Blaine, weren't you the one that has told me…sadly, on too many occasions for me to want to remember…that when that happens, it means that you are just so excited that, well…it can't be stopped?" He sort of felt bad that he enjoyed the fact that the shoe was on the other foot now.

"I know, but for crying out loud, Kurt. It's our wedding night. I would have liked to have given you more than five seconds worth of pleasure." Blaine felt a blush creep across his cheeks as the words left his mouth.

Kurt was not going to let this go without playing just a little bit. "You know, Blaine…I'd like to say the pleasure was all mine, but…wait…it wasn't now, was it?" He looked down at his hand, then back up at Blaine. "Nope. I'd say it was all you."

"Can we start again?"

"What, like double or nothing? Sure you want to risk it?"

"Does Burt know that he raised a mean boy, Kurt?"

Kurt took Blaine's hand in his, and placed it on himself. "Let me show you how it's done, Blaine Hummel." When he took Blaine's hand, it was warm except for the cooler spot where his ring sat. As he pressed it against his skin…there…it happened. The very same thing that had happened to Blaine. Within seconds.

Kurt closed his eyes so that he didn't have to look at Blaine's raised eyebrow.

"I…what I mean is…" Kurt had nothing. No smart comments. No sarcastic barbs. Nothing.

Blaine tried to be serious but was finding it difficult. "Can it be? Kurt Hummel…speechless?" Kurt nodded, and the two began to laugh.

"Kurt, remember when we got caught by that sheriff in the back seat? I think that was nothing compared to this."

"Easy for you to say. You had your pants on. I was caught…unawares."

They laughed again at the awkwardness of the situation, and then before they knew it, they were kissing again, wrapped up in each other and their love. Their lovemaking on this night was slow and sensual and familiar…both knowing what the other needed…and when they finally drifted off to sleep, it was with the knowledge that there was no where on earth they belonged other than in each other's arms until the end of their days.

* * *

><p>"Good morning, newlyweds." Carol was putting dishes out on the table, and Kurt walked over to help her.<p>

"I'm famished." Kurt put the last plate down, and walked towards the coffee pot.

"Worked up an appetite on your wedding night, did you?"

Finn.

"Honey, that's not polite. What they did last night is their business." She turned to wink at the boys, and patted Blaine on the shoulder as she passed him heading towards the living room.

"Burt…breakfast. The boys are here."

"You know, how come when they're here, you refer to them as "the boys"? What am I?

"Finn, you are whole other kind of animal." Kurt smiled at his brother, who looked confused.

"Like a lion? You know…fierce?"

"Ok…we'll go with that." Patting the chair next to him, Kurt motioned Finn over to sit.

Burt walked in and smiled at the scene of his whole family at the breakfast table.

"How are we today, gentlemen? You look tired."

"Wedding night." Finn tried to make a face but was interrupted by his mother shooting him a look and Kurt pinching him on his arm.

"Oww…Kurt, what the heck? Why the hate? I wasn't saying it like it was a bad thing."

"No, but you were saying it like it was a dirty thing. Same difference."

Burt picked up his coffee slowly. "If you all don't mind, I don't feel like listening to the details of my son's wedding night while eating my eggs."

Blaine tried to change the direction of the conversation. "So, Burt…we're trying to decide on whether to drive to New York, or take the train. I mean, the train would be easier, but what about getting around Manhattan?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. There is so much mass transit, and in a pinch you can always take a cab…"

Kurt sat back in his chair and shook his head. "I've seen "Taxicab Confessions". I know what goes on in those back seats. There isn't enough sanitizer in the world…"

"I'm going to make believe that my son didn't just tell me he watches adult channels…"

"Dad, I'm married now. A married man."

There was silence around the table as they all just looked at each other before Finn started laughing.

"My brother watches porn. Who knew?"

"I don't watch porn. Mom, please make him stop talking."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand under the table. "He doesn't watch porn. It's too much for him."

Kurt shot him a look. "What does THAT mean?"

"Sweetie, you know you don't like that kind of stuff."

Burt shook his head. "I can't tell you how proud I am to listen to my three boys discuss the importance of porn in their life. Can't wait to tell my friends down at the garage."

"Anyway…" Blaine turned from Kurt and addressed the others. "We need to resolve this today so that we can start our trip. As it is, if we decide to go by train, it's going to cost us more for last minute tickets."

Kurt was still hung up on the previous conversation. "You know, Blaine…I didn't sense any complaints from you last night about…"

"Oh, dear God. Stop. Please." Burt tried to eat his breakfast, but couldn't. "All I wanted was to sit here and eat with my family in peace. Must you feel the need to give me all of the graphic details of your wedding night?"

Finn laughed. "Kurt likes porn."

* * *

><p>"Your poor father." Blaine started the van as they headed home to iron out the details of their trip to New York.<p>

"Do you think I'm a prude?"

"Well, I've seen you in action, Kurt. I know that you aren't."

"I mean, do you think that people see me like that? You know, stiff?"

Blaine smiled. "I would choose a different word, but no. You're more…I don't know…proper than a lot of guys our age. It's not a bad thing, Kurt. It's just unique."

As they pulled into their parking lot, Blaine looked over at him. He smiled, and reached over to grab Kurt's hand and kiss it.

"What was that for?"

"I couldn't help myself. Now, we need to get our things packed and make some decisions. When I told Ellen that we were leaving this week, she asked if they could watch Bocelli for us. I don't see a problem…"

"Oh, I do. It's big and dopey and has four legs and drools and likes to leave landmines from hell for decent people to step in. I don't want our bird becoming an afternoon snack."

"Midnight won't hurt him. He's a good dog, Kurt. He's just young. I think it will be good for Karen too. "

"Speaking of the little hurricane, when we get to New York, she wants me to take a picture of the Vampire State Building."

"Vampire?"

"Yes. Those were her exact words. I hated to break it to her, but she'll be disappointed by the lack of fangs or a black cape in any of those pictures."

Blaine turned the key in their lock, and blurted out something that he was thinking before he could stop himself.

"I want one of those."

"More specific, please."

"I want a girl."

"You should have thought of that before you put this ring on my finger, fella."

"You know what I mean. I can't wait to have a child with you, Kurt. I can't wait to share all of that."

"It's not all sunshine and rainbows, you know. There are…diapers. And you know how I feel about that situation."

"I know. And I know it's ridiculous to think about it right now. But I want you to know, Kurt…whenever you're ready…just say the word…and we'll start making plans, ok?"

"Ok. But I think we need to focus more on finishing high school and getting at least some way through college. We will need to support our children, you know."

"Children? As in pleural?"

"Blaine, I was an only child my whole life. Until Finn. And I don't want to have a child of ours be alone. God forbid something happened to us. Both of us. Our kid would be alone."

Blaine hadn't really thought about that part, but when Kurt said it, it made sense. "Ok, beautiful. But when you're ready, you promise you'll tell me, right?"

"Of course I will, Blaine. I don't keep secrets from you." Kurt walked over to Blaine, who had his arms outstretched, and fell into his hug. "I like this."

"I have something else you might like, husband of mine." Blaine gave him a look that would have normally melted Kurt, but they really did have to concentrate on their trip.

"Hold that thought. Let's figure out what we're doing, get our train tickets, and then…then you can show me what you have for me." He kissed Blaine quickly on the lips, then walked towards their bedroom. Kurt's phone beeped that he had a new message from Finn, and he looked down and laughed.

"My brother likes porn"

Kurt shook his head as he held it up so that Blaine could see the message.

"I've said it all along. Classy."

* * *

><p>Finn's phone buzzed, and he looked down, thinking it was Kurt responding. It was David Anderson.<p>

"Finn-can you give me a call when you get a chance"

He dialed the number and after two rings David picked up.

"Hello?"

"Mr. A, what's up? It's Finn."

"Finn, how are you? Did the boys get off on their honeymoon yet?"

"Are you kidding? It's gonna take Kurt days just to figure out what to wear on the way there, much less for the rest of the time. Your son, sir, has the patience of a saint."

"Well, love does that to you, Finn." David tried to think back to the last time he felt like that. It had, sadly, been a while.

"What can I do for you, Mr. A?"

David hesitated and tried to find the right words. "Finn, I wanted to talk to you about Hannah."

Finn could feel a lump in his throat as he started to speak. "Hannah?"

"Yes. I know that you two know each other somehow—I don't want to know how—and she's asked me to contact you."

This was awkward, Finn thought to himself. He really wasn't even sure of the relationship between the Anderson's and this girl, and he certainly didn't want to do anything that would make things weird between he and Blaine.

After some dead air, David spoke again. "So anyway, Finn. Hannah asked me if I would give you her number in case you ever wanted to…get together again. I told her I would, because I like you. And I trust you."

Finn closed his eyes and gripped the phone tighter. Could he trust himself?

* * *

><p>The boys decided to leave on Wednesday morning, which would get them there in plenty of time to see "Wicked" on the weekend and take in the sights. They purchased their tickets leaving from Cincinnati, which had a direct route to New York City. With the generous gift they had received from Blaine's father, they opted to purchase, on the way there, something called the "Viewliner Roomette", which was basically a small cubicle with bunk beds. Their train left at an awful hour, 3:30am, and Blaine thought long and hard about whether it would be worth the cost to have Kurt be able to sleep on the way there rather than deal with a tired and cranky Kurt once they hit New York. He opted to spend the money.<p>

When Burt found out that they would be leaving from Cincinnati, which was about a two-hour ride from Lima at that time of the morning, he was less than happy. But, once Carol reminded him that it was the price they paid for living outside of a major city, what could he do?

On Wednesday morning, Burt and Carole, with Finn in tow, went to pick up the boys at their apartment. When they pulled up, they noticed Rachel, Puck and Brittany pacing around outside of their building.

Finn jumped out of the car, and walked over to the others. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to see them off properly. It is their honeymoon after all." Rachel handed each of them a small packet of birdseed, which she wanted them all to throw at them as they came out. It should have been a simple plan.

"Well, let me go in and get them. You all try to keep it down, ok? Remember what time it is. Normal people are trying to sleep." Burt walked up to the door and tapped it lightly. Blaine came to the door and opened it slowly.

"We're in the midst of a crisis in here. Please help me." Blaine turned and walked towards their bedroom, where Kurt was sitting on top of his suitcase on the bed, bouncing up and down to try and get it closed.

"Kurt, what on earth…"

"He thinks he needs all of these clothes. Really, Kurt…I have one suitcase and a carry on."

Kurt crossed his arms and stopped bouncing. "Dad, I need all of these things. Tell him."

Burt grabbed Kurt's arm and pulled him from the bed. Opening the suitcase, one of three that Kurt had packed, Burt looked through the contents. He pulled out three pairs of shoes and a pair of boots.

"Really, Kurt?" Burt grabbed the boots and one pair of shoes and pushed them back into the suitcase, leaving the others on the floor.

"Dad!" Kurt tried to grab them, and Burt kicked them under the bed.

"Kurt, you have exactly five minutes to get your rear end out into that car so that we can get moving. We have a long drive ahead of us, and I am not going to deal with this nonsense. You're going away for seven days, not a year."

He looked at his father and then over at Blaine. "Stop looking so pleased with yourself. I hate when you two gang up on me."

Blaine grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the closet. "Any last minute things before we go?"

"No. And stop smiling."

"I can't help it. I'm happy."

Burt grabbed two of the suitcases and Blaine and Kurt each grabbed their carry on and one of the other suitcases each. They had brought Bocelli over to the girls last night, so they gave one last look around before they closed and locked up the door.

Trying to be quiet in the hallway, they step out into the parking lot where Kurt was immediately pelted in the forehead with a small bag of birdseed.

"Brittany! You were supposed to open the bag and throw the seed. Kurt, are you alright?" Rachel walked over to him, where he was rubbing between his eyes with the palm of his hand.

"But the bag was so pretty. I knew Kurt would like it." Brittany smiled, and Kurt shook his head.

The others threw the loose seed, and as they all walked towards the van, which they felt would be easier to take than Burt's car, Puck laughed when he saw all of the luggage. As he started to help load it into the van, he looked at the two of them standing there.

"Blaine. Miss Minelli." Blaine tried to stifle his laugh when he saw the look on Kurt's face. It was priceless.

Burt handed Finn the last bag, and asked if that was everything.

"I think they may have left a sofa and a nightstand behind." Puck turned to head over to the others, and then turned back to the boys.

"Have a great time, you two. Give New York some Lima Love for me."

Blaine shook his hand, and they all climbed into the van, with the three boys squeezed into the back seat. Burt backed out of the spot, and before they were even out of the parking lot, he heard a commotion behind him.

"Finn, ouch…that hurts."

"Kurt, move over."

"Blaine, quit it."

He was about to yell at them, as he had done so many times before. But what if this was the last time all of his boys were here, like this? He looked at Carole, who patted him on the leg.

"You know Burt, our boys are all grown up."

He looked in the rear view mirror at the three of them.

"Carol, honey…I love you. But we really do need to get your eyes checked."

When they got to the Amtrak station in Cincinnati hours later, Finn and Blaine had fallen asleep, and Kurt just watched the darkness go by outside the side window.

Burt started to open his door, when he heard Kurt call to him, almost in a whisper.

"Dad?"

"What is it, kid?"

Kurt struggled to form the words.

"I think I'm a little scared." He sounded so young that it caught Burt by surprise.

"Are you afraid of New York? I don't think things are as bad as the news sometimes says, Kurt. You two will be fine. And you know if you need anything…ANYTHING…you call me and I will be there in a heartbeat. You know that, right?"

"I know."

Carol turned to Kurt. "What is it, honey?"

"What if I'm a bad husband?"

"Do you love him, Kurt?"

It was an easy question. "More than life."

"And he loves you just as much. You two will be fine. I promise."

Kurt poked at Blaine and Finn to wake them up, and when they finally had all of the luggage out, the family walked over to the platform together. Burt took it all in—everyone he loved was right here. Carole. His boys. Sending them off, somehow, was harder than he thought it would be. It felt as if one part of his life as Kurt's father was ending, and another beginning.

"Dad?"

Burt walked over and hugged Kurt tightly, kissing him on the top of his head like he had done a million times when he was little. "I love you, kiddo. Have a great time, ok?"

"We will. I love you guys."

Burt looked at Blaine and felt the sting of tears in his eyes, no matter how he tried to hold them back. This young man was now the keeper of Kurt's heart. He thanked God that he had sent Blaine to them, and that they had found each other.

A porter loaded their bags, and Kurt and Blaine walked up to the door and handed their tickets over. Blaine grabbed his Kurt's hand before they made their way up the three steps to their car.

"Ready, beautiful?"

"Ready."

Blaine took a deep breath. "Look out, New York. The Hummels are coming."


	2. All Aboard

Blaine had his hand on the small of Kurt's back as he led him into the train car. At that time of the morning, it was just about empty.

"Take your pick, beautiful."

Kurt scanned the seats, stopping to look at each one. He shook his head several times.

"Kurt, they're all the same."

"Oh, I disagree. You see, much like fingerprints, the stains on these seats are unique and…"

"Ok, I have to say this. I was the one raised with money. How did you get to be such a snob?"

Kurt turned to Blaine with a look of hurt on his face. "That was mean."

"Trains are supposed to be romantic, Kurt. You travel slowly to your destination, able to rest and think about what is waiting for you at the other end. What's waiting for us is our honeymoon. Now…isn't that something to smile about?"

Blaine was right. This was romantic. He grabbed Blaine's hand and found a double seat for the two of them.

"Are you tired, sweetie? Remember we have those bunks we can use for the ride there. I want you to feel all fresh when we get to New York."

"Let's just sit for a while. Are you nervous?"

"About our honeymoon? No…it's not like we're rookies, you know." Blaine put his arm around Kurt, who rested his head on Blaine's shoulder.

"No, I mean, about New York. There's so much to see. It's so big. What if we get separated? What if…"

"We have our phones, right? And we should maybe come up with a center point, in case we do get separated—not that I think we will—so that we know where to meet. What do you think?"

"I like it. Although maybe we should get some of those fluorescent vests…you know the kind…so that we can always see each other."

Blaine made a face that made Kurt realize how ridiculous that sounded.

"How do you put up with me?"

Blaine looked down at him. "Well, it's easy. I love you."

They sat quietly for about an hour, and Kurt began rubbing his eyes. "I think I need sleep."

Blaine stood up and pulled his ticket out to see just where their sleeping compartment was. Two cars down. He took Kurt's hand and pulled him up, and they walked between the cars until they reached their destination.

"Well….this is cozy. Although I was hoping to actually sleep with you, not above you like we're at band camp." Kurt patted the mattress on the lower bunk, and sat down.

"They didn't have a king size available, your majesty." Blaine sat down next to Kurt and put his hand around his waist. "But I think these will be just fine." Blaine crawled up into the bed, and pulled Kurt down next to him. Kurt reached over and pulled closed the door to the cubicle, which made a clicking sound as it locked.

'You know, I've always wanted to know what making love inside of a tuna can felt like."

"Shut up and kiss me." Blaine rolled Kurt over onto his back, and kissed him, putting his leg over Kurt's. "You know…this will be a first for us. Making love on a train."

Kurt cuddles closer to Blaine. "You know…this is actually sort of romantic. We can make believe we're in a submarine. You know I've always been a sucker for a man in uniform."

Blaine smiled. "Yes…I vaguely remember."

As the train made it's way towards New York, the boys spent the early morning hours making love and talking about the first thing they would do once they arrived. Kurt wanted to go to Broadway and look at all of the marquees. Blaine wanted have a hot dog from one of the street carts, which caused Kurt to wrinkle his nose and make a face.

"A hot dog? Really? That's the first thing you want to sample in the Big Apple?"

"I'd rather sample you, if you must know."

Kurt blushed, and then tried to change the subject. "You know, I've heard of people that actually collect the Playbills from Broadway shows. I'd like to do that. Collect as many as I can."

Blaine loved this side of Kurt. He looked collecting sentimental things…things that carry memories for him, and it made him happy to see Kurt become more animated about their trip. He looked at his watch, then to Kurt.

"Why don't we get some rest, beautiful? We'll sleep a little bit, then get up and see what they have to eat."

Kurt was ready to come back with a snide comment about the food on a train, but then looked at Blaine, and saw so much love and excitement on his face that he couldn't do it. This was the beginning of their honeymoon. He moved next to Blaine so that his head was on his shoulder, and within a few moments, Kurt was asleep. When Blaine heard the soft breathing from him, he kissed him on his forehead and closed his eyes. This, he thought…this is what real love feels like.

* * *

><p>Finn lay in bed thinking about what to do. Hannah wanted to see him, but in what capacity? Did she want to be friends? Did she want…something more? He thought about Rachel. Yes, they are dating, and he knows that in her eyes, she and Finn are destined to be together. But did he feel that way about her? If he was honest with himself…no, not really. He didn't see the two of them having the same kind of all consuming love that Kurt and Blaine have. The kind where the moment they leave your side, you miss them. He hated to admit it, but sometimes Rachel drove him crazy, and when she walked away from it…well, sometimes it was a relief.<p>

He sent a text to Puck asking if he could come over to talk, and after making a remark about them being two ladies chatting over tea, and a guarantee that he would get one of Carole's breakfasts, he said he would be over in about an hour.

When Finn came down the stairs, the first thing he thought of was the boys. He laughed to himself thinking about Kurt confined to a train for all of those hours, and poor Blaine, who, like he told David Anderson, has the patience of a saint. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed some coffee, and was startled when he heard Burt's voice behind him.

"What's up, kid? You're out of bed early."

Finn felt like Burt really was his father, and wanted to ask him for advice. He never wanted Burt to think badly of him, and they had already discussed Hannah before.

"Burt…do you think that there's anything wrong with a guy dating more than one girl?"

"Well, I don't. But I think that the young ladies would have a different opinion. What's going on?"

Finn hesitated for a moment, and then sat down at the kitchen table. "Do you remember at the wedding, there was this girl with Mr. A…kind of looked like a hippie?"

"I remember. I know Kurt was wondering about her. He said something about Woodstock."

"Yeah, she is kind of a free spirit. At least I think she is." Finn tried to find the right words. "So anyway, remember when we had that talk, and I told you that there was a girl that I…umm…that I was with at a party?"

"Ahhh…so your history has come back to haunt you, has it?" Burt laughed, and Finn began to fidget in his chair.

"Burt, here's my problem. Hannah…that's her name…told Mr. A that she would like to get together with me. If you were a girl, what does "get together" mean?

"Well, maybe she just wants to talk."

"Yeah, girls are good at that, that's for sure."

"I think the bigger question, Finn, is what do _you _want it to be?

"I don't think I know. I mean, I've only spent a little bit of time with her, and to be honest, Burt…not a lot of it was spent talking."

"So call her. What do you have to lose?"

"What about Rachel? I don't want to hurt her. I don't want to be "that" guy."

Burt liked Rachel, and thought she was a nice girl. But he didn't really see a life long connection between she and Finn. "Ask her for coffee. What's the worst that could happen?"

"Should I tell Rachel?"

"I don't think you have anything to tell her yet. I appreciate you trying to be a stand up guy, kid…"

"I know. Ok, I'll ask her for coffee. Just coffee."

They heard a knock at the door, and when Finn got up, he saw Puck peering through the glass. Puck started talking the moment the door was open.

"I don't smell breakfast."

"Good morning, Puck." Burt got up to leave the two teens alone to discuss the pros and cons of this new twist in Finn's life. He shook his head as he walked away, knowing that, for Puck, the decision would be based on who was "hotter". He liked that Finn was a deeper thinker than that.

At least, he hoped he was.

* * *

><p>In the dining car, the boys had a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage and toast, and even Kurt was amazed at how good the coffee was. The train was more crowded now, and they found a seat where they felt they could just relax and watch the scenery go by. Blaine had brought a book, and Kurt was busy making a "to do" list.<p>

"Can we go to Macy's?" The look he gave Blaine was more pleading than question.

"Kurt, there's a Macy's at home." He didn't take his eyes from his book.

"But this is Macy's…THE Macy's…the mother ship of all Macy's…it's…"

"Yes, my love. We can go to Macy's."

That settled Kurt down for a while, and he went back to his list. "What about FAO Schwarz?"

"The toy store?" Blaine put his book down in his lap. "Kurt…"

"Blaine, it's not a toy store. It's THE toy store."

"Is it the mother ship of all toy stores?"

"Now you're making fun of me. Do you know they have that piano that Tom Hanks danced on in "Big."? Don't you want to dance with me at the best toy store in the world?"

Blaine looked into those blue eyes and, as always, melted. "Yes, Kurt…I want to dance with you at the best toy store in the world. And at Macy's. And up and down Broadway…I want to dance with you everywhere."

Kurt put his head on Blaine's shoulder and sighed. "Perfect."

They rode in silence for a few miles, and then Kurt whispered to Blaine. "That guy over there is staring at us."

Blaine looked up, and noticed it too. They guy looked away, embarrassed that he was caught looking at them. But it kept happening, until finally Blaine looked at him and shook his head, as if to say, "what are you looking at?"

He got up and started to walk towards them, and they both noticed immediately that he was about their age, maybe a few years older, but young. He was dressed in a manner that made Kurt smile. Everything matched, and his shoes were impeccable. He sat down across from them, and immediately apologized.

"Please forgive my rudeness. I've been wanting to talk to you two ever since I saw you at breakfast."

"See, Blaine…I told you your manners cause a stir in public." Kurt held out his hand to the stranger. "Kurt Hummel. And this is my…my husband, Blaine."

The other boy seemed to relax and slumped back in the seat. "I knew it."

Blaine and Kurt looked at each other, wondering what he meant.

"What is it like? Being married to each other?"

The question seemed kind of personal for someone they just met on a train, but Blaine had a feeling he knew where this was going. "It's wonderful. But we're just newly married, so we don't have a lot of statistical info yet."

"I'm getting married, you know. In New York. That's where my…my boyfriend is from. I'm from Indiana originally. My name is Taylor."

"Congratulations, Taylor. We're headed to New York on our honeymoon." Blaine took Kurt's hand in his. "I hope you and your future husband have what we have."

"It's hard, isn't it?" Taylor looked at them, and admired their public display of affection. "Loving each other in this world?"

"Well, we've had our moments, but all in all, it's been great. I keep thinking about three words of advice we received from a much older, much wiser man. Let love win. It sounds simplistic, but it works."

"Thanks, guys. And sorry about the staring. It just felt good to see…you know…someone I could relate to. Maybe when you're in New York, we can all have lunch or something. Daniel…that's my boyfriend's name…he works in a great restaurant." Taylor pulled out his wallet and reached for a business card. "Here's his card with his cell number. If you call it, I'm sure I'll be right next to him." He leaned over to shake their hands, and then returned to his seat.

"He was nice, wasn't he, Kurt?"

"How did he know we were gay?" As soon as he said it, Kurt and Blaine started laughing, and realized that their body language with each other said it all. "Blaine, do you think it was the shoes? Is it too much?"

"Kurt, what am I going to do with you?"

He leaned over and whispered to Blaine, "I'm hoping many, many things".

It was several hours more before they reached their destination of Penn Station. Kurt had dozed off against the window, and as the train came to a halt, Blaine tried to wake him up.

"Hey, sweetie. Time to wake up. We're here."

Kurt made those cute sleep noises that Blaine loved, but since people were starting to disembark he knew that he needed to wake him up. He leaned over and kissed the side of his face, which brought a smile to Kurt's face.

"Wake up, beautiful. Welcome to New York."

* * *

><p>After checking in to the hotel, they decided to just relax and head out in the morning. They were both a little nervous about the city at night, and this would give them an opportunity to cuddle and plan their next few days. They delighted in room service for dinner, and Kurt was thankful that Blaine didn't want to run out and have hot dogs.<p>

"I think I'd like to live in a hotel, wouldn't you?" Kurt sat up on his elbow and ran his hand over Blaine's chest. "I mean, the doorman, the elevator, all of the interesting people coming and going…"

"Kurt, we haven't even left the room."

"You know what I mean. I think it would be fun." He lay back down so that the two of them were looking up at the ceiling. Kurt then jumped up and ran over to the small refrigerator that was stocked with miniature bottles of alcohol and assorted snacks.

"This is fantastic. Look how tiny these bottles are. Can you imagine what they would look like in that huge paw of Finn's?"

"Remember what Dad said, Kurt. The mini bar prices are really inflated."

"Have you ever had a macadamia nut? Who eats this stuff?"

"Come back here, Kurt. Let's watch some TV." Blaine used the remote to flip through the channels, and was shocked to see that there were a lot of adult themed channels.

"Sketchy viewing for such a classy place. You know, Kurt, I think we could probably get "Taxicab Confessions" on here if you want."

"Heh…yeah…sorry…so not funny." Kurt rolled onto his side and looked at Blaine's profile. He really is so beautiful. His curls, his long lashes…the curve of his mouth.

"I could look at you forever, you know."

Blaine turned his head to look at Kurt, who already had his eyes closed. He debated waking him up to get undressed, but he wanted him to rest. They had a lot of walking to do tomorrow, and they both had to be fresh. He propped up his pillows and flipped through the channels, listening to Kurt sleeping. After a few minutes, he turned off the television, realizing the best sound in the world was coming from right next to him.

In the morning, Kurt was up first, and by the time Blaine opened his eyes, his partner was fully dressed.

"Wow, don't you look nice."

"Thank you. I figure that I should dress to impress."

"That you have. Have you had anything to eat?"

"No. I did go down to the lobby but it was crazy down there. People coming in, people checking out, baggage carts all over the place. Hey, did you know that macadamia nuts cost $11.00. That's like $1.50 per nut."

"We'll get some snacks to bring back with us, ok? I know my Dad gave us some money, but I want to spend it on doing things, not chewing."

"Agreed. So hurry up. Get in the shower so that we can get out of here." Kurt pulled Blaine upright, and after a small argument about whether Kurt should join him in the shower, they parted. Blaine was ready to go within half an hour, and they grabbed their room key, their phones and Blaine shoved his camera into his pocket. They got to the front door, which was held open for them.

"See. Classy. I want to live here."

* * *

><p>They had only walked about twenty feet when something slapped against Kurt's calf. He reached down, and saw that it was a playbill from "Jersey Boys".<p>

He smiled.

"This is karma. I'm meant to be on Broadway. Playbills are gravitating right to me." He rolled it up and put it in his pocket, careful not to crease it too much. "This is the first addition to my new scrapbook."

They walked for what seemed like forever before Blaine tapped him on the shoulder and pointed. Central Park.

"I've been waiting to come here forever, Blaine."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Unless you want to grab a hot dog or something."

As they walked through the opening to Central Park, and down the walkways, Blaine was conscious of a group of loud teens that seemed to be just within the perimeter of wherever he and Kurt were. He was sure they were harmless enough, they were about the same age as the two of them, and were probably just enjoying the surroundings as they were. Still…he wanted to keep an eye on them.

"Blaine, this is magnificent. You know that I normally am not the…outdoorsy type…"

Blaine laughed out loud and grabbed Kurt's hand. He held it up to his mouth and kissed it gently. "I think this type of outdoors is just perfect for you, my love."

At that very moment, they both stopped short as Kurt looked down at the sleeve of his shirt. "Oh my God…is that…?"

"Kurt, relax. I'm sure it happens all the time. Kurt…"

"Oh my God…something just….pooped on me…"

He looked up to find the culprit, a pigeon that was flying way too low. Before he could look away, and as Blaine watched in what could be best described as horror, it happened again, this time the pigeon leaving it's mess along the side of Kurt's face. All Blaine could be thankful for was that Kurt wasn't in the middle of talking because had it hit his mouth, it would have been the end for his husband.

"Kurt, it's ok. We'll clean it up. Please don't….please don't cry. It's just…."

"It's just Ralph Lauren." Kurt couldn't bare to look at the damage from the aerial attack. He stood still, frozen like a statue.

"For the love of God, help me." Blaine wanted to laugh until he saw the one tear running down Kurt's face. His heart melted.

"Baby, it's ok. Let me go find something to clean you off, ok. Wait right here."

"Maybe we can grab one of those fabulous t-shirts that say "I Love NY" on it for me to change into."

"That's a great idea. Let me look…"

"Blaine, I was kidding."

"Ok. just stay right there. And Kurt, you might want to put your arms down."

"Why?"

"Your feathered buddy might think you're a landing strip and bring his friends."

Kurt put his arms down quickly. "Remind me to speak to Bocelli about my dislike for his kind."

Blaine looked around and saw a vendor with a cart selling Italian ices. Perhaps he had something he could use to clean Kurt up.

He was able to get napkins, and looked back at Kurt, waving them in the air. He held his finger up to indicate "one more minute" while he looked for water. From the corner of his eye he saw a water fountain about a hundred feet away. He ran towards it, hoping that it worked. If not, they would have to head back to the hotel to change. They might have to anyway. He was sure that Kurt would want to decontaminate himself. Blaine smiled and thought about being back in the hotel room with Kurt. That wouldn't be so bad, would it?

He was snapped back to reality by what he thought was Kurt calling his name. He wet the napkins, and headed back to where he had left him standing. How could he have heard Kurt calling him from that distance, unless he was yelling? But why would….

Blaine began to run back to where they had parted, and felt his heart start racing when he realized that Kurt wasn't there. Had he come back to the wrong spot? He looked and saw the Italian ice cart, which meant he was where he started. Then he heard it again.

"Blaine…"

Where was he? Blaine shoved the napkins into his pocket and began looking around for him. There were so many people in the park, so many open spaces…but surely he would be able to spot Kurt…his Kurt…

As he turned in a circle one more time, he saw them. The group of teenagers that seemed to be following them the whole time they were in the park. They were headed away from him, moving quickly. He thought it was a coincidence. But was it? Don't fear the worst, he thought to himself. He probably just wandered off to look at something. No, he wouldn't. It was the one thing he was worried about—them getting separated. Blaine felt a light brush against his foot, and when he looked down, it was the playbill that Kurt had found earlier. He would never have let this go. It was something sentimental. His Kurt would never let that go.

He dialed Kurt's phone, and it went right to voice mail. Hearing his voice caused Blaine to begin to panic and he felt paralyzed. Think, Blaine. Where could he have wandered off to? It was only a few moments that you were gone. He walked over to a bench where some people had been sitting, and asked if they had seen which direction he went. They all shook their heads. He tried his phone again. Voice mail.

Was there a police officer around he could ask? He looked around and didn't see one. A Park Ranger? Do they have Park Rangers? A nervous laugh left him as he thought of Yogi Bear. Think, Blaine. You're supposed to watch out for him. Where is he?

Not knowing what else to do, a resisting the urge to just scream, Blaine's hands were shaking as he dialed 9-1-1.

After two rings, a dispatcher answered and asked what the problem was.

"My name is Blaine Anderson, and…my husband is missing…"


	3. The Search

Why did he say that? He felt like he had just betrayed Kurt.

"Mr. Anderson, let me ask you a few…"

"It's Hummel. My last name is Hummel. Not Anderson."

The dispatcher seemed annoyed with him, which Blaine couldn't understand.

"You don't know your own name, sir?"

"No…I…we just got married. I'm upset because I can't find him. Can you please help me?"

"What is your location, Mr. Hummel?"

"I'm in Central Park." Blaine was now beginning to panic. Why do they have to ask questions before they come out to help him?

"Central Park is pretty big, sir. Can you be a little more specific?"

Blaine looked around for landmarks, but all he saw was the Italian ice cart. Nothing he could describe to make finding him easier.

"Sir, are you there?"

"Yes…I'm trying to find something…anything…so that you can tell where I am."

"While you think about that, can you give me a description of your…husband?"

Blaine gripped the phone tighter and felt a wave of nausea fall over him. Is he really doing this? Is he really having to give a description of Kurt to the police? Where does he start? He tried to speak but there was a tightness in his throat that kept the words from coming out.

"Mr. Hummel, are you still there?"

"Yes. I'm sorry." Blaine closed his eyes and pictured Kurt. He was unable to stop the tears from starting.

"His name is Kurt Hummel. He's 5'10", thin build…umm…he has medium brown hair…and he has blue…" Blaine had to stop. He felt like screaming. "He has blue eyes…but not a normal blue…"

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

Blaine tried to get the words out quickly. How can he describe his Kurt's eyes to a perfect stranger?

"They're more like a combination of blue and green, with…gold flecks in them. And he has really long lashes. Please…I'm begging you…help me find him."

"Mr. Hummel, I know that you aren't going to want to hear this, but it's not against the law for an adult to…hide."

"We're not adults." As the words came tumbling from his mouth, Blaine realized the truth to what he said. They weren't adults. They are married, yes. But even to do that, they needed parental permission. It felt like a punch in the stomach to realize the gravity of what he had just said to the person on the phone. "We're seventeen. And we don't belong here…"

All of the fear and desperation that Blaine had been trying to hold in came out in a burst of tears. How can he have thought that he could take care of, to protect Kurt, for a lifetime when he couldn't do it for two days? And what was he going to tell Burt? Or Finn?

His legs felt so shaky that he could barely support his own weight any longer. "Sir…I don't know what to do. Please tell me what to do to find him. He wouldn't hide from me. He was afraid of us getting separated. There was this group of teenagers, what if they…."

"Are you telling me there was a group of teenagers that threatened your husband?"

"No…no they didn't do anything. There were just a lot of them, and they seemed to be everywhere we went…but they…"

"Mr. Hummel, it's not illegal to walk in large groups in the park. If there was a specific threat made, that's a different story."

Blaine looked at his watch. "You don't know him. If you did, you would know that he wouldn't just wander off in a crowd."

The dispatcher felt for him, and tried to offer words that would try to ease his fears. His voice softened when he spoke to Blaine.

"Look, I know you're scared. But I'm sure that he will come back. Did you two have a fight? Anything that would have made him want to take a breather?"

"No. Are you sending someone?"

"I have someone already on the way. Are you near the main entrance, do you know?" He was trying to pinpoint a spot where a patrolman could find Blaine.

He looked around. "There's a row of horses here. A lot of them. And an Italian ice stand."

"Ok, I want you to stay right where you are. We'll find you, ok? What are you wearing?" Blaine gave the details of what

Blaine didn't want to stand there and do nothing. He wanted to look for Kurt. But he nodded into the phone. "OK".

"Is there anyone you can call to come be with you?"

"No. We're here alone." Blaine's mind raced to that moment when they were getting up onto the train in Ohio, how he had his hand in the small of Kurt's back. He would give anything now to not have gotten on those steps.

"Mr. Hummel, I have your call back number. The officer should be there any moment. If you need to call me back, please don't hesitate, ok?"

Blaine didn't answer as he disconnected the call. He felt like he was in some really bad movie where things were moving so slow that he felt that time would come to a grinding halt. He looked down at his phone. Nothing.

He couldn't handle this by himself. He was failing. With shaking hands, he dialed. After two rings, he heard the familiar voice saying hello.

"Dad?"

David Anderson was surprised to hear his son's voice on the other end, especially on his honeymoon. "Hey, Blaine…how are things going? How is the Big Apple treating you?"

"Dad…please help me…" And that was all that Blaine was able to get out to his father.

"Blaine, what is it? What's wrong."? David sat upright in his chair, a feeling of dread coming over him. "Are you all right? Is Kurt OK?"

"I can't find him, Dad. I left him for a second, and he was gone."

"Ok, did you ask anyone around you if they saw him?"

"Yes." His son was barely audible.

"Blaine, have you called the police? Surely…"

"They said someone would come but they haven't. Dad, what if something horrible has happened to him. They made me give a description just in case…"

"Don't even think that. They just need to know who they are looking for, ok? That's all." While he was talking, David was on his laptop trying to figure out the quickest way to get to his son. He realized that he would also need to call Burt.

"Dad, I don't know what I'll do if anything ever happens to him. I just don't."

"Blaine!"

He closed his eyes and for a moment thought he could hear Kurt calling his name, like he did what seems now like an eternity ago.

"Are you there, son?"

"I feel like I can hear him. I think…"

"Blaine! Look!"

He turned around, and from across the park, he saw Kurt. Almost running, calling his name, with a huge smile on his face. His run was off balance, because he was holding something. Blaine shook his head, hitting it against his phone. Was he dreaming?

"Dad. I see him. I have to go."

"Blaine, call me when you find out what happened, ok? I'm not going anywhere until I hear from you."

His heart was racing so fast that it hurt inside of his chest. As Kurt got closer, he thought about his eyes, and how he was so afraid he wouldn't see them again. He started to run towards Kurt, and when they finally got to each other there was so much momentum that they almost crashed.

"Look! Look what I got for you!" He looked down with pride at the cardboard tray that was holding two hotdogs. "Are you surprised?"

Blaine tried to talk around the knot in his throat, but all he could do was throw his arms around Kurt, crushing the cardboard between them. And then he started to cry.

"Beautiful, where were you?" He was sobbing now, causing passersby to look at the two young boys. "I thought you were gone. I thought someone took you from me." He hugged him again, never wanting to let go.

"I tried to tell you. I called you. I saw the hot dog cart way over there…" He pointed in the direction opposite of where Blaine had seen the group of teens. "Why are you mad at me?"

"Kurt, you are the one that told me that you are afraid of us getting separated. YOU are the one who wanted to wear vests so that we could see each other. Why on earth would you walk off like that? Why?" Blaine was torn between relief and something just short of anger.

"I wanted to surprise you." Kurt 's eyes were welling with tears now, upset that he had done this to Blaine. "I'm sorry." He looked between them to see the crushed hot dogs and the mustard all over the front of Kurt's shirt.

"This is oil based, Blaine…it won't come out."

At that moment, a police officer walked up to them. He looked down at a slip of paper. "Mr. Hummel?"

They both turned around and answered at the same time. "Yes?"

"Blaine Hummel?"

"That's me." He was almost embarrassed now that he had panicked so quickly and called the police. "I'm really sorry, sir. I thought my husband here had gone missing. But as you can see, he's safe and sound."

The officer turned to Kurt. "Are you ok, son?" He assessed the person standing in front of him, covered in remnants of pigeon excrement and mustard.

"I'm ok…thank you. It was just a misunderstanding. I'm sorry you had to come out here."

"As long as everything is ok, no harm. Where are you boys from?"

Blaine was thankful that he wasn't being reprimanded for making a false report. "We're from Ohio. We came here for our honeymoon."

"Is that right? Well, congratulations. Now you two try to keep out of trouble, ok?" He shook both of their hands and turned to walk away, giving them a backhanded wave.

"You called the police?"

"Kurt, what should I have done? I leave you for a minute…a minute…and when I come back you're gone. I didn't know if something had happened to you…if someone had…I don't even want to think about the "what if's", ok?

Blaine's phone rang, and he looked down to see that it was his father.

"Everything ok? Is Kurt alright?"

"He is, Dad. It appears I overreacted." He looked at Kurt, who was trying to brush off his shirt. It was hopeless.

"Blaine, let me talk to him for a second."

He handed his phone over to Kurt, who greeted David with the same melodic voice he always used.

"Kurt…do me a favor. I have enough gray hairs cropping up. Please don't do this again. I can't take it. And neither can he. Got it?"

"Got it." Kurt smiled to himself as he thought about how easy his relationship with David Anderson now is. It felt comfortable. It felt like family.

Once they finished talking to David, Blaine just stood looking at Kurt. God, he loves him. How is it possible to love someone so much that being away from them for a second actually hurts?

"Where's your phone? I tried calling you."

"At the hotel, remember? When we walked out, I said I forgot it and wanted to run back up, but you say not to bother because we had your phone. You don't remember?"

Of course he did. Now.

Kurt reached into the cardboard and pulled out the remnants of the crushed hot dogs. He held one of them to wave at Blaine, and it snapped in half between them. As it hit the ground, Kurt looked at it, then up at Blaine.

"This is why pizza is always a safer bet." As he said it, a pigeon swooped in and grabbed the hot dog from the ground and flew off."

Kurt shook his head. "Savages."

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Blaine wanted him. Even after scaring him to death…even after the embarrassment of getting the police involved…even covered in everything he was covered in…Kurt was still what made his heart pound.

He grabbed Kurt's hand. "Let's go back to the hotel."

"I know. I need to get out of these clothes."

"Yes, Kurt. You do."

* * *

><p>There was silence between them as they rode the elevator, Blaine still holding his hand. Kurt gave him a few sideways glances, wondering if he was still mad at him.<p>

Blaine pulled out his key card, and opened the door, pulling Kurt in. Before the door was even fully closed, Blaine had his husband up against it, kissing him harder than he had planned, but unable to stop.

"Blaine, I'm a mess. Let me go…"

"No! I'm not letting you go anywhere." Blaine looked into those eyes as he grabbed the front of Kurt's shirt, putting his fingers between the buttons. Not taking his eyes away, he pulled hard on the shirt, ripping it open as the small round pieces fell to the floor.

Kurt pulled away. "Blaine, I'm sorry."

"I thought you were gone. I thought I'd never see you again…never make love to you again…"

He kissed him again, gentler this time, pressing his tongue against Kurt's.

"Let's get you cleaned up, beautiful."

Blaine led Kurt to the bathroom, which had a large shower with a sliding glass door. He ran the water until it was the right temperature, and then held Kurt's hand as he helped him in, following closely behind. Grabbing a washcloth, Blaine added soap, then rubbed it slowly along Kurt's arms…making his way across his chest. He leaned down to kiss the spot between Kurt's nipples, which caused a shiver to run down Kurt's spine.

"Don't ever leave me, Kurt. I couldn't take it."

Kurt spoke just above a whisper, his hand against the glass door as Blaine kissed his way down his wet body. "I won't."

Blaine was down on his knees now, looking up at Kurt. "Promise me." As Blaine slipped his mouth over Kurt, he waited for his answer.

"I promise, Blaine."

The next sound Blaine heard was that of his new husband moaning as he leaned against the shower wall, the taste of Kurt filling him. He turned off the water, pulling a towel from one of the racks. Starting at his hair, he began to dry him off, at times causing Kurt to laugh when he brushed against his ticklish spots.

"I love you, Kurt Hummel."

"What a coincidence, because I love you, Blaine Anderson-Hummel."

They walked over to the bed, which was so much bigger than their own that they seemed to get lost in it. Blaine pulled Kurt against him, and just held him, never wanting to be apart from him again. When he let him go, Kurt rolled on to his side and just looked at Blaine, a small smile forming on his lips.

Blaine ran his finger across the front of Kurt's wet hair. "What?"

"Nothing. I just love you is all."

Reaching for the remote to find something for them to watch together, Blaine decided against it as he heard one of the best sounds in the world—Kurt sleeping soundly. It was like music to his ears. And as he looked down at the most amazing human that walked the earth, Blaine sighed and blinked away tears as he came to the realization that the moment that Kurt's heart ever stopped beating, his would too.

* * *

><p>"Finn, stop pacing, will you?" Burt was trying to read his newspaper, but it kept getting blown around by the wind that Finn was creating with each step. "It's just a date."<p>

"I feel weird about it. Like it's not really a _date_ date."

"You do realize that I don't understand half of what you say anymore."

"Burt, what if _she_ thinks it's a _date_ date?"

He put his paper down and looked at Finn. He may be tall of frame but he was, a lot of times, like a little kid. "So what if she does. Listen, kid…go have coffee, talk a little bit…please remember to keep your pants on this time…and things will be fine."

"I should have told Rachel. I feel bad."

"Finn…do you think that Rachel is the one?"

"Burt, give me a break. I can't even decide which flavor of Pop-Tart I want most days. I'm not ready to commit to anyone. I'm not Kurt and Blaine."

"Then cut yourself some slack, ok? You're not doing anything wrong. Now go. Let me read about current events in peace. Go."

Finn nodded and walked through the kitchen to the front door. Burt was right. He wasn't hurting anyone. Not yet, anyway. He drove the short distance to the address that Hannah had given to him, and as he pulled into the driveway, he felt…what? Nervous? Anxious? He brushed it aside and walked up to the door, knocking softly. The door flew open, and there she stood.

"You call that a knock, Hudson?"

With that one sentence, he remembered why he liked this girl. Her attitude. Her confidence. And most definitely her looks.

"Are you going to stand there staring at me, or are you coming in? I have another date after you and I don't want to run late."

Finn's face dropped. "Really?"

"God, you are so gullible. Now get in here before I change my mind."

Finn followed her in, and once inside he took his phone out and put it on silent.

Yep, he thought to himself. This was most definitely a _date_ date.

* * *

><p>"Kurt, wake up…you have to see this."<p>

Kurt sat up, rubbing his eyes. "What? What's wrong? Is there a fire or something?"

"Yes, Kurt…the hotel is on fire, and rather than grabbing you to run to safety, I want you to look at the splendor of the flames."

"I see someone woke up and caught the sarcasm express this morning."

"Just get over here." He waved Kurt over to the window, and put his arm around him. "Look"

Just outside of their window, across the street, was the billboard for "Wicked".

Kurt smiled. "Is this not the best view ever?"

Blaine took his hand, bringing it to his mouth to kiss it. "Well, second best view ever. I married the first one."


	4. The List

**Author's Note**: I want to thank everyone that has emailed me and asked where I've been, and when I was going to update. Truth be told, I was feeling a bit bummed because I wasn't getting many reviews. And, I've been spending time with the love of my life, who I met through my stories. But the messages that I've gotten have been very nice, and it made me feel as if there were still readers for my stories about our favorite boys. This chapter is shorter than most of mine, but will be setting up some very involved upcoming chapters. So, thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing if you can...PEACE :)

* * *

><p>"A horse's ass."<p>

Blaine looked up from his breakfast at Kurt. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me."

"I heard you. I just don't know what—or who—you are referring to."

Kurt was scribbling on a note pad, tapping his pencil on the paper. "I'm making a list of all of the amazing things I will have seen on our honeymoon."

Putting his fork down, Blaine smiled and turned towards Kurt. "And the business end of a horse is on your list?"

"Well, we're going on a buggy ride, no? I mean, think about it. Riding for miles in Central Park…trees to the left…trees to the right….and a big giants horse's rear end to the front. I can't think of anything more romantic, can you?"

"You know something, Kurt? Why don't you think of it as a beautiful ride with your adoring husband at your side? Instead of looking at, well…you can look into my eyes, and…"

"Well, when you put it like that."

"And it's called a Hansom Cab, not a buggy."

Blaine sat down again looking at his room service breakfast, let out a sign, and shook his head. "You know, this food doesn't hold a candle to Carole's breakfasts. What I wouldn't give for one of her waffles right now."

"That's a pretty expensive regret you have sitting in front of you, Blaine."

"Don't I know it. We may have to take a loan out to pay our rent next month."

"You know, I used to want to live here. Be a resident of the Big Apple. But you know what?"

"Tell me." Blaine loved the look that Kurt got on his face when he was about to talk about the two of them.

"I don't want it. Any of it." Kurt was standing next to him now, looking down at him with a small smile that made Blaine's heart race. He really is beautiful, he thought to himself.

"I find that hard to believe."

"But it's true." He knelt down next to Blaine, and took his hand. "You know, yeah, New York has everything, it's the "city that never sleeps", blah blah blah…but really…what I want is what we have at home."

"We have a small apartment, a mini van, and a crazy bird." He was trying to make Kurt laugh, but there was a seriousness about this conversation that he wasn't expecting.

"That's right. And I wouldn't change any of it. I love our life, Blaine. I think it's perfect. Sitting on he couch eating macaroni and cheese with you. Lying in our bed reading. And…". Kurt hesitated, looking into the eyes of the love of his life.

"And what, sweetie?"

"And I think that Lima is the perfect place to raise a child."

There was no arguing with that. Everyone they loved was there. Burt and Carole. Finn. David. And their friends, who really were like their extended family.

"Wicked tomorrow. Can you believe it? We're going to see Wicked." Kurt changed the subject and bounced down on the bed, looking at Blaine. "I want you to know that being married to you makes me happier than you'll ever know, Blaine."

"You say that now. Once the curtain goes up tomorrow, you'll forget all about me."

"Impossible. You're my ride home."

* * *

><p>As they left the hotel, Blaine took a moment to remind Kurt about wandering off. He did not want a repeat of what happened the last time they were at the park.<p>

"Kurt, I need you to stay with me. No hot dog hunting. No looking at the scenery. Let's just stay together, ok?"

"Ok. I promise."

"Swear on your Burberry coat."

Kurt looked at him, unblinking.

"Swear it, Kurt. You disappear, so does the coat. Got it?"

"Have I ever mentioned that you have a mean streak, Blaine? Really…"

The slowly made their way over to the park, walking hand in hand and talking about what life at school was going to be like now that they are married. Blaine was in mid-sentence when he heard a gasp come from Kurt's mouth.

"What is it? What do you see?" Kurt pulled Blaine across to a cart near the front of the park.

"I don't know what this is, but I could smell its deliciousness from across the street."

Blaine looked at the sign, and laughed. "It's called a knish. Have you never had one?" He had traveled so much with his parents growing up that there really weren't a lot of things that Blaine hasn't tried.

"Unless they sell it at the mall or Breadsticks, no, I have not." Kurt peered over the top of the cart, and smiled. "I need one of these. Whatever they are."

"It's made of potato, sweetie. They taste really good with mustard." Blaine put two fingers up, and waited as the operator of the cart handed him two knishes. "Be careful, Kurt. They're hot."

Blaine smiled as Kurt took his, and surveyed it like a child would a new toy. Kurt blew on it, and then took a small bite. The look on his face was priceless.

"I…I don't even…this may be the best thing I've ever had in my mouth."

"I don't think I like where this is going. And I'm not too hurt by that statement." Blaine bit into his, and had to agree. It tasted fantastic.

"Ok…second best thing I've ever tasted. Is that better, husband of mine?" Kurt gave Blaine a quick kiss, and took his hand.

"Do you see what I see?"

"Are you sure, Kurt? Remember this morning you didn't seem so thrilled about it."

"Oh, I'm ready. You know me, Blaine. I'm always ready for adventure."

"I don't consider a clearance sale at Macy's an adventure, Kurt."

"Did you see the looks on those women's faces? I almost lost an arm battling over a scarf."

"You shouldn't fight with a woman, Kurt."

Kurt gave Blaine the face and walked away. "She started it."

* * *

><p>Kurt eyed the horse with suspicion. "I don't like the look he's giving me."<p>

Blaine laughed but caught himself when Kurt looked at him. "What look is that, sweetie?"

"You know. He smells my fear."

"What he is smelling is probably your designer shoes. Why on earth would you wear those for an outing like this?"

"Just because we're dealing with the outdoors doesn't mean I have to look like something from Little House on the Prairie. What should I have worn, Blaine? Overalls and a straw hat?"

"Now THAT I would love to see."

"Don't hold your breath, mister."

"Now come on, just pet him. Their hair around their nose feels like velvet. Come on…"

Blaine picked up Kurt's hand and placed it at the tip of the horses nose. Kurt smiled when he felt the softness against his palm.

"Now that's not so bad, is it? Look…he likes you."

Kurt tilted his head and the horse pushed his face against Kurt's cheek.

"Do you want to feed him something, young man?" The driver pulled a small piece of carrot from his pocket and handed it to Kurt. "Just go nice and gentle from the front…he'll take it from you."

Kurt looked at Blaine, who nodded back. "Go ahead. I'll take a picture."

Taking the carrot, Kurt stood towards the front of the horse, and held it out. He looked at it for a moment, and then began to nibble gently. As Blaine aimed the camera, the horse opened it mouth wider, causing Kurt to drop the carrot on the ground. The only picture Blaine got was of Kurt as a blur stepping away.

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry. That breath."

"Kurt, it's an animal. I don't think it has a choice."

"Would it hurt for someone to toss a mint in there every so often? Wow."

"Kurt?"

"No, I'm sorry. Dental hygiene should not just be for humans. It really…"

"Kurt…baby…"

"What is it?"

Blaine looked at Kurt, and knew that what was about to happen wasn't going to be good. He started to say something, but realized they were past the point of no return.

Feeling a pressure on the shoulder of his shirt, Kurt froze as he then felt something wet brushing against his ear. He was unable to move, as if paralyzed.

"Blaine, what is that?" He was afraid to turn around.

"I believe it's what some people call a "wet willy".

"I'm sorry? A wet what?"

"You know, when someone puts a wet finger in your ear. Only…well….it's not a finger, sweetie…"

Before he could stop him, Kurt turned around and was face to face with the horse, which proceeded to swipe his tongue across Kurt's mouth. Blaine waited for the scream, but nothing came out.

Kurt slowly turned back to Blaine, who just looked at him with his own mouth open. "I would close that if I were you. You might be next."

Blaine put his hand up to his mouth to cover up a chuckle. "Are you ok, Kurt?"

"Why is it that every animal I encounter has a unhealthy need to put their tongue in my mouth? First Midnight, and now…Trigger here…"

"You're just too sexy for your own good, Kurt Hummel. Whether two or four legged…we all want you…"

The driver looked at them both and shook his head. "Are you boys going to go for a ride or not?"

"Sir, do you have a moist towlette?"

"A what?"

"Nevermind." He looked at Blaine and frowned. "Will you ever kiss me again?"

"I don't know, Kurt. How can I compete with that little bit of action?"

Kurt looked at the horse, then back at Blaine. "You know what? I think I've changed my mind. I don't want to…like...I think I don't have the right shoes on. Can we go back to the hotel?"

"My love", Blaine said as he slid his arm around Kurt. "I think that's for the best."

* * *

><p>"Why so glum, chum? You're acting all girly and stuff." Puck tossed a balled up piece of paper at Finn's head, which bounced off and landed on the ground next to them.<p>

"I don't know, Puck. Women. They just are going to be the death of me." Finn reached over and picked up the paper and tossed it into the trash can next to his bed. "I mean, on one hand, I have Rachel. On the other hand, there's Hannah."

"Keep messing around with this and all you'll have is your hands, if you get my drift."

Finn shook his head. "I know. I just really like this girl. She's funny, she's pretty much a smart ass, which is a weird quality to find attractive, but…it is. She doesn't back down, you know?"

"My friend, you don't have to choose one. Play the field. It's what dudes do."

"But I don't. It's not fair to either one of them. I feel like I'm always looking over my shoulder to see if one of them is there when I'm spending time with the other. I don't know how people ever cheat because it's exhausting."

Puck looked at Finn and smiled. "You know, you aren't tied to Rachel. Yeah, you're dating, kind of. But there's no ring on her finger. Speaking of that, have you heard from Kurt and Blaine?"

"Yeah, they're having a good time. Kurt sends us constant updates."

"They're on their honeymoon. They should be knocking…"

"Dude…that's my brother. Don't make me have that picture in my head. I beg you."

"I have to hit the road. But listen, about the chicks…you don't owe either one of them anything. It's all casual, right?"

Finn nodded. "I suppose."

He watched as Puck walked out and closed the door behind him.

Casual. He had slept with one of these girls.

Casual…not so much.

* * *

><p>I think Kurt is spending more on postage than they did on the train tickets." Burt looked at the pile of postcards on the kitchen table. "He's given us an update on every hot dog cart and street vendor they've come across. And just how many bridges are there in New York City?"<p>

"Honey, they're just excited. Let's face it…it's a far cry from Lima."

"I know. And you know something? I really miss them. I miss them just popping in."

"Three more days, ok? They'll be home in three days, and I'll make a nice dinner for all of us. Have you seen Finn much lately? He's been really quiet."

"Nope. He just goes up to his room when he gets home. If I didn't know any better I'd think he was trying to avoid us. Or avoid something."

"Go check the mail. I'll put lunch out." Carol walked over to the refrigerator and took out the makings for sandwiches. Burt was right. She also missed the boys coming around. And she missed the chatter between them.

Looking out of the window she saw Burt standing in the driveway near the car, with his head down reading something. He looked away, and then shook his head.

Carole opened the door and stepped out.

"What is it, Burt? Another postcard from Kurt?"

"You know how Kurt always puts this return address on everything? Even though they have the apartment, he puts this address? Force of habit, I guess…"

"I know. It's cute actually. It's like his last little connection to us."

"This one came back marked "return to sender."

Carole laughed. "Did Kurt run out of postage? It's no surprise."

Burt shook his head. "No, he didn't run out of postage."

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Burt handed her the postcard written in Kurt's flowery writing. It was addressed to Mr. Collins.

Carole looked at it and put her hand to her chest. "Oh, no…oh, Burt…"

Across the address was stamped one word.

"DECEASED".


	5. My Gifts To You

Carol shook her head in disbelief. "Why didn't David say anything? Why didn't he call us? He knows that the boys would want to know."

"Maybe he didn't know. Don't forget, Mr. Collins wasn't the biggest fan of David Anderson."

"What do we do?"

Burt looked at the postcard. "Well, the boys will be home in a few days. I don't see the sense in calling them now and ruining their honeymoon."

"Honey, they'd want to know." Carol sat down at the kitchen table.

"But there isn't anything they can do about it right now. I'm sure any services that were held for him are long over. I just don't think telling the boys this news while they're away will make the blow any easier to take, do you?"

"No. I guess not. They are going to be heartbroken. Especially Blaine."

"I know. And I'm not looking forward to telling them. Such bad news right after something so wonderful. He didn't look sick at the wedding, did he? Did we miss something?"

"No, he looked fine. He was having a good time."

Burt put the postcard on the table.

"Let's not tell Finn either. I don't want him slipping if the boys call him."

"This is gonna be rough, Carole. Blaine has had so much nonsense in his life. And now this."

"He has Kurt, honey. And he has us. It'll be ok."

On the way to pick up the boys, Burt told Finn about Mr. Collins.

"Are you kidding me? That old dude was awesome. What happened?"

"We're not sure, honey. We just found out about it ourselves."

"This sucks. Blaine is going to freak out." Finn sat back in the seat and shook his head. "He really was cool. I'm glad I got to meet him."

They pulled into the train station and waited. Finally, when the train carrying Blaine and Kurt back from New York arrived, the wandered over to the platform, excited to have them back, but sad to have to tell them the news.

They saw Kurt first. He was smiling from ear to ear, and Finn let out a sigh.

"Really guys…this sucks. What if we don't tell them?"

"Honey, we can't do that. He was their friend. At some point, they'll want to visit him again."

Burt stood with his hands in his pockets. When Kurt saw him, he ran to him and threw his arms around his father. And then he talked…and talked…and talked…until he finally stopped for air.

"We took so many pictures. And Blaine…" Kurt turned around to see Blaine struggling with their suitcases alone. "Oh…sorry…"

"Kurt, I swear…a few days in New York and you've become impossible." Blaine stopped walking long enough for Finn to grab one of the suitcases.

"What do you mean?"

"You get a few compliments on your outfits…a few, mind you…and you're strutting around like Liza Minelli after a show." Honestly, sweetie…come back to earth where you belong. With me. Remember? Your darling husband."

Kurt laughed and grabbed Blaine's free hand. "Of course I remember. How could I not…our honeymoon and all…"

Finn stopped. "Eww."

"What?"

"I don't want to hear anything about your honeymoon. Nothing. Not a word. Zip it."

Carole was happy that the mood was so light. It would change rapidly once they got the boys home.

When they got to the car, it started.

"Ask. Don't grab."

"I wanted to see it."

"Ouch, that was my finger, Finn."

"How did you get your seat belt tangled up with mine? It's not rocket science."

"Get your…Finn! I know what that is. It's called a wet willy. And trust me, I've had better…"

"Eww…Mom…Kurt is being disgusting."

Blaine jumped in to defend Kurt. "No, he means it. Only it was a tongue, not a finger."

Carole and Burt both turned around at the same time. "What?"

"It was a horse. Kurt was petting a horse and…"

"Wait a minute. Kurt was touching a horse? Without gloves?" Finn leaned over and looked across Blaine to his brother. "Was it a real horse?"

"Of course it was a real horse. I was really brave."

They all just sat thinking about that for a moment. Kurt heard some chuckling.

"You are all just mean people and I don't have time for this anymore." He leaned against Blaine's shoulder and before long was asleep.

Finn leaned in to Blaine. "A horse? Really?"

"It's a long story."

* * *

><p>Blaine lost all of the color in his face. "I don't understand."<p>

Burt handed him the returned post card with the "Deceased" stamp on it. "I'm sorry, son. This is a terrible way for you two to find out about this."

Kurt shook his head in disbelief. "But he was fine at the wedding. He didn't seem sick." He looked at his husbands stricken expression. "Maybe it's a mistake. Right, Dad? Could it be a mistake?" Kurt was beginning to get scared at the lack of moment from Blaine.

"I don't think it's a mistake, buddy. It's a small town. If someone at the post office there stamped this, they knew what they were doing. I'm so sorry."

Carole walked over to Blaine and put her arm around his shoulder. "Come on, honey. Come sit down." She led him over to the couch, and sat down with him. "He was an amazing man and you are so lucky to have had him in your life."

"I don't understand, Mom. What did I do wrong?" The first words out of Blaine's mouth for what seemed like forever took them all by surprise.

Finn looked down at him, and was filled with sadness. "Dude, you didn't do anything wrong. People get old. We can't help it even if we want to."

"He was like my father. He took care of me there. He…" the words got caught in Blaine's throat. "He protected me from everyone. He…protected me from my father…"

Kurt walked over and sat down next to Blaine. "What do you mean?"

Blaine leaned over and put his head on Kurt's shoulder. "Nothing. Nevermind."

Burt and Carole exchanged what could only be described as confused glances. They knew David was hard on Blaine growing up, but was there more that they didn't know?

Finn made his way to the now full couch and squeezed in between his brothers. He hated this. He didn't know why, but whenever these two hurt, it broke his heart. They are his brothers, yes. But it was something else. He just wanted them to be happy.

Putting his arms around the two of them, Finn leaned them both back onto the couch a little harder than he had planned. It was then that Blaine began to cry.

"He was alone when he died. I just know it. He had his own "Kurt", and he couldn't be with him…and he was alone. How could this happen?"

Right after he said it, Blaine felt ridiculous. Of course he knows that people live, people get old, and people die. He knows this. But how could such a good man be gone from his life forever? How could he never see he and Kurt become parents? How could they never walk into his store and hear that loving voice that never judged and Blaine had never heard raised in anger?

"Does my father know?"

Carole stood up from the couch. "We're not sure, honey. We haven't been able to get in touch with him. The words felt weird when they hit Blaine's ears. He just disappears. Like he always did.

"Why don't you boys come and stay at the house tonight? Mom will make something special for dinner." Burt didn't know what to do to make things better, and looked at Carole for support. She nodded in agreement.

Finn looked to either side of him and shook his head. "You know what? Why don't I stay here tonight? I'll take of them, ok?" He pulled the boys in tighter to him. "It's ok, Mom. We'll be fine."

Burt pulled out his wallet and left some money for them to order something to eat. As he walked towards the door, he turned and took in the picture on the couch. Blaine, so small, teary eyed; Kurt, looking fragile and hanging his head; and Finn…trying to be the big brother. It was, he whispered to Carole, going to be a long night.

"Are you guys hungry? I know I am." Finn sat up and grabbed his cell phone. "What do you want? Pizza? Kurt, I know you do. We can order that macaroni and cheese one that you talked about."

"I'm not hungry, Finn." Kurt leaned behind Finn and brushed his fingers along Blaine's cheek, feeling the tears. "You don't have to stay. I can take care of him."

"And who's going to take care of _you_, buddy? You lost someone special, too. Now come on, let's figure out something to eat." They agreed on pizza, but not with as much enthusiasm as they normally do. After calling the order in, Finn stood up. "Ok, it's going to be about 30 minutes. Why don't you two go lay down and rest for a little bit. It was a long ride back and you both must be exhausted."

They looked at each other but didn't say anything. Kurt stood up first, and took Blaine's hand, leading him to the bedroom. Finn watched in silence, thinking about how, even though they were all basically the same age, they seemed so small and young to him. Married, yes. But still kids.

"I'll wait out here for the delivery guy. And it's a good thing that your bird isn't here because I'm really hungry and those fat little wings of his would look very tasty." He wanted to make them smile. Since their backs were to him, he doesn't know if he succeeded.

* * *

><p>While he waited, Finn put the TV on and flipped through the channels. He hit the mute button a few times to hear if they were talking to each other, but mostly he heard Kurt's voice. After a while, he didn't hear anything.<p>

Within the 30 minutes, there was a hard knock at the door, and Finn jumped up to get it before it disturbed the boys. He pulled out his wallet, and as he opened the door, he felt his foot being stepped on as a flash ran by.

As he pushed the door closed, Finn started to laugh at the little girl standing in front of him. "You aren't a pizza."

"Don't be silly. Of course I'm not. I am Princess Karen. Do you want to play palace with me?"

"You know, I knew you were someone special when I saw the tiara. You look especially royal today. But today isn't really a good day to play, sweetie. Can I get a rain check?"

"A what?"

"A rain check. It's what you get when you can't do something at one time, so you ask if you can do it another. Rain check."

Karen let out a huge sigh. "Can't you just say no like everyone else?"

"You have a point."

"Where are they? Are they home?"

Finn walked over to the couch and patted the cushion next to him. "Does your Mom know that you're here?"

"Yes. I told her I was coming over to see Blaine and Kurt. They told me they were going to bring me something from their trip. Something special." She sat down hard, and Finn made an exaggerated move as if he was going to fall off of the couch.

"Karen, the boys are here, but they're resting. They've had a rough day."

"Are they sick? Sometimes when I'm sick my mom makes me take a longer nap."

"Well, they're sick in a way. Kind of heartsick, actually. Do you know what that means?"

"I'm just a kid. How would I know?"

"That is true. It's when something happens that makes you feel so sad that you just need to rest so that you can handle it better when you wake up. They'll be ok…I promise. They just need a little time. But I'll make sure to tell them that you came by to see them. Would that be ok?"

"I guess. But don't forget about me."

"Princess Karen, how could I ever?"

* * *

><p>As he opened the door for her to head home, the pizza guy was walking up to them. Finn paid him, patted Karen on the head being careful not to knock her tiara off, and went back inside. He put the pizza on the kitchen counter and walked to the boy's bedroom. Peeking around the corner, he saw Kurt sitting up flipping through a magazine, with Blaine asleep next to him. He was lying on his side with his back against Kurt.<p>

"The pizza is here. Are you hungry?" He said it in a whisper so as not to wake Blaine up.

"Not really, Finn. But thank you." Kurt put his magazine down, and Finn walked over to Kurt's side, moving his hand in a motion telling Kurt to scoot over. He did, and Finn slid in next to him, barely on the mattress.

"Kurt, have you gained weight?"

"How could you say something so mean? Honestly, Finn."

"I can't fit in the bed anymore. Move over a little bit more."

"He's sleeping, Finn. Lay sideways or something."

Finn rolled onto his side and was almost on top of Kurt.

"Ok, this doesn't feel right."

"Wait…I'll lay the other way. But you have to deal with my feet."

"As if today hasn't been tragic enough." Kurt gave him a weak smile, and looked down at Blaine. He brushed a few stray curls back, and then turned his glance back to his brother.

"Finn…what do you think he meant…about Mr. Collins protecting him from his father?" Kurt was barely speaking at a whisper because he didn't want to wake Blaine up. "Do you…I don't know…do you think he hurt him…physically?"

"I would hate to think that, buddy. I mean, Mr. A is not a bad guy. Don't get me wrong. He's had his moments. But in the end, he seems like he loves Blaine."

"I don't know. I just didn't like how he was acting. Or, reacting. This is so hard, you know. I loved Mr. Collins for a lot of reasons. But with Blaine, it's like a huge part of his life is gone. He didn't react this way with his mother…"

"Ok, Kurt…you can't compare the two. Mr. Collins was awesome. Blaine's mother…ugh…basically a she-devil." They both laughed as quietly as they could. Then Kurt turned serious.

"He doesn't want to go back to the lake house anymore."

"Well, that's silly. So many good things happened there. And it was his gift to the two of you. He has to go back."

Kurt thought about the times spent there. There had been so many amazing moments in their relationship—some good, others tense—but the nights they spent there were always special. They laughed there. They cried there. They made love there. It really was a home for them.

"We had such a good time when we all were out there before you got married, remember? Although I could have done without the way you were eating that s'more. Completely inappropriate, Kurt."

"It was delicious."

"I don't think I've ever before seen someone get to third base with a graham cracker." Again, laughs between them. Kurt looked down as Blaine began to stir next to him. Rolling over, he looked up at Kurt.

"Hey, beautiful."

"Hello my gorgeous husband."

Finn stood up and began to walk towards the door. "Let me go grab the pizza, ok? We can be completely decadent and eat it in here." Finn's phone buzzed, and he grabbed it and looked down. Hannah. He put his phone on silent and headed for the kitchen.

Blaine looked at Kurt. "I love you. And I'll miss him. It doesn't even seem possible, Kurt. I mean, we just saw him."

"I know. For some reason, I thought he would always be there. Forever."

"I'll go help Finn and grab some drinks. Kurt…I really don't want to go back to the lake house."

"I know. We can talk about that later, ok?"

Nodding, Blaine left the room. Kurt watched as the love of his life was carrying such a heavy heart. He grabbed the magazine again, flipping through the ads. After what seemed like an eternity, Kurt slid off of the bed and went to see what was taking so long. He stopped short when stepped just outside of the bedroom door.

Finn was standing just inside the small kitchen, and he had Blaine in one of those amazing hugs of his.

"I know it hurts, Hobbit. I get it. We both do. Heck, we all do, this little family of ours. I lost my dad. Kurt lost his mom. And Burt and my mom lost their significant other. It's rough."

Kurt could hear Blaine crying into Finn's shirt. "I used to wish he was my father. I would come home from the lake house and pray every night that some miracle would happen and I would be snatched up and brought back to him. He loved me no matter what." Blaine began sobbing now, and Kurt fought back his own tears as he watched his beloved in such pain. He felt a small tinge of jealousy that Finn was consoling him. But it passed quickly.

"Dude, he was awesome. Of course you'll miss him something fierce. But you have great memories, and he gave you guys that house so that you can create more."

"I don't want to go back there. I can't…"

"Blaine, listen. Right now, you think it will remind you of him. And it will. But it will also be the place where you and that brother of mine will make so many more amazing memories together, and with the family. And with your kids."

This brought a smile to Blaine's face. "Finn…they'll never meet him. They'll never know what he meant to me."

"Of course they will. Because you'll tell them. Just like I'll tell my kids the fantastic story of their uncles and how they fell in love despite all of the challenges they faced…you'll tell your kids about the man who taught you about strength and honor. And about being yourself."

Blaine let go and stood back, looking at Finn.

"How did you get to be so smart, Finn Hudson?"

"It's the company I keep. Oh, and Karen was here earlier. She said you were supposed to bring a gift back for her."

"We did."

"Well, it better be good. She's sporting a tiara and if it isn't she may have you thrown into the dungeon."

Kurt decided this was a good time to interrupt. "Pizza. My favorite." He wrapped his arms around Blaine, and kissed him gently on the lips. "Pizza and my two favorite guys. What more could I ask for?"

They both looked at him.

"Ok, a little something from the new Ralph Lauren collection. Don't judge me."

* * *

><p>The next day there was more news in the mail. A certified letter for Blaine.<p>

He opened it, and stood quietly as he read it. He then handed it to Kurt.

"I don't understand. They want you to go to the reading of Mr. Collins' will? Why?"

"Maybe someone in his family is mad that he gave us the lake house. That he spent his money on it for us."

"I don't know. I don't think so." Kurt wasn't really sure. But what it did mean was that they would need to go back to the lake for the reading. It would be the perfect opportunity for the two of them to spend some time in the house.

"Do we have to go? Maybe my father can go for me."

"It's ok. I'll be right there with you. Let's call my Dad and see what he thinks."

Blaine sat down on the couch with the letter still in his hand. "He's really gone, isn't he?"

Kurt sat on the table in front of him, taking the letter and putting it down beside him. He then took Blaine's hands in his, and raised them to his mouth, kissing them softly.

"Physically, yes. But he'll always be with us. I mean, our welcome mat? Those were his words to us. He told us to always let love win. And it did. He got to see that, Blaine. He got to see you happy. He will always be with us, no matter what we do in life. I promise."

Blaine grabbed Kurt and held him. "I love you, Kurt. And I never want to be without you. Ever."

"You won't be. We're a team, you and I. Nothing can change that, ok? Nothing."

After eating, they decided to call it a night. Carole had hoped for an update from Finn, but there was nothing. She decided to leave the three of them alone, and had an early night herself. By eleven o'clock, she was growing worried, and asked Burt to drive her over there so that she could check on them. She tried texting Finn, but there was no answer.

When they got to the door, she turned the key as quietly as she could. Stepping inside, they waited to hear voices. There were none. Walking to the bedroom, Carole felt her heart melt. "Burt, look at them."

Blaine was on his back, with Kurt's arm around his waist. Kurt was in the middle, with Finn's long arm around his shoulder. And Finn was sharing a pillow with Kurt. The fashion magazine was lying on his chest. They looked like a pile of puppies huddled together for warmth. They looked—perfect.

"Let's go, honey. I think they're fine." Burt led Carole back to the door, which they locked behind them.

"How did we get so lucky, Burt? How did we get three good boys?"

He laughed. "Well, we each got one by birth, one by marriage…and one that we were just blessed to have brought into our lives. Simple as that."

* * *

><p>Later in the day, Finn was pacing back and forth in the kitchen while Carole just watched from the living room. He seemed to be practicing asking a question.<p>

"Finn, honey…what are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you wearing a hole in our kitchen floor? Did you want to talk about something?"

After a few seconds, he finally spit it out.

"Mom, can I bring someone over to dinner tonight?"

"Of course you can. You know that we love Rachel. She's always welcome here."

He hesitated again. "It's not Rachel, Mom."

"Oh. I see. Well, who is it then?"

"Her name is Hannah. We've been dating off and on for a little while now. I'd like you to meet her."

"You've never mentioned her. How did you meet her?"

"I met her at a party and…look, Mom…can I invite her or is it going to be weird for you?"

"Of course you can invite her, Finn. I was just a little surprised that it's not Rachel."

"You and me both, Mom. You and me both."


	6. Last Words

The smell from the kitchen carried Finn down the stairs quickly. Hannah was coming for dinner tonight, and he really wanted everything to be perfect. When he got to the bottom of the steps, however, his heart began to race.

"Mom, are you kidding me? Spaghetti?"

"Not too insulted, Finn." Carole turned to look at her son, who had a weird look on his face.

"No, it's not…Mom, I love your spaghetti. But…we're having company tonight."

"I'm well aware of that, honey. What's the problem?"

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not the cleanest of eaters. Especially that." He pointed to the sauce cooking on the stove, and then sat down on one of the chairs. "Mom, I want things to go ok tonight. I don't want her to think that she's dating a barnyard animal."

"Dating? Are you two dating?" Considering she had only heard of this young lady recently, she was surprised at Finn's choice of words.

"Not really…I don't know. Mom, it's really complicated. But I like her. A lot. So can we please have something different for dinner? Like toast?"

"What about Rachel?"

"I think toast would be better."

"Don't be a smart guy with me, Finn. What about Rachel?"

It always came to this. "Mom, what about her? We're not engaged or anything. I never said I was going to be with her forever. I like her, a lot. But unlike the boys, I'm not ready to commit to one person for the rest of my life. Not yet. Is that so wrong?"

Carole smiled at her all too wise son. "No, sweetie. That's not wrong at all. I just know how Rachel feels about you. And if you are going to pursue a relationship with this other young lady…"

"Hannah. Her name is Hannah."

"If you are going to pursue a relationship with Hannah, you need to be fair to Rachel and tell her. She's going to find out eventually, Finn. Shouldn't it be from you?"

She was right, of course. He felt bad because he knew that Rachel's feelings for him were deeper than his for her. And it was his fault too. Not that he led her on. But it was always the assumption that when the group did things, it was Finn and Rachel. He had to tell her.

"Mom, can I ask you a question? Like a really serious question?"

Carole pulled a chair out and sat across from her son. "Of course you can. You can ask me anything."

"Why do you think Kurt and Blaine wanted to get married already? I mean, why didn't they want to wait to see if there was someone else they were meant to be with? How did they know?"

"Honey, I want you to know something. When Kurt and Blaine first talked about getting married, Burt and I were not really thinking it was the best thing for them, for many reasons. First, they are so young. And really, in as much as they have in common, they also have a lot of differences. So we were worried. But then, when you see them together, it's like puzzle pieces, you know? The picture isn't complete unless they are together. It doesn't happen often, where you find your other half so early in your life. But when it does, Finn…you just know."

"I always think that I want what they have. I want someone to look at me the way they look at each other, Mom. I want someone, when I walk in the door, to look at me as if they have been waiting their whole life for that moment. Is that weird?"

"No, Finn. It's not weird. It's what we all deserve. You know, when I look at Burt, I think…"

"Mom, this isn't going to get gross, is it?" Finn shifted uneasily in his chair.

"No, sweetie. It's just that, when I look at Burt, I see joy. I see a future where I will always laugh and will always feel safe. I loved your Dad, Finn…but I never really felt as if I were enough to keep him happy. He had a lot of demons. Far more than I could ever do battle with. You'll find it, Finn. I promise."

He thought about Kurt and Blaine. How they reached out for each others hand without even thinking about it. The times when he caught them just looking at each other and smiling from across the room. How Blaine would touch Kurt's back as he led him through a doorway. So much of their relationship was not played out with words as much as gestures.

"Now, let me finish dinner so that everything is perfect tonight, ok? Why don't you go and see what the boys are up to. They have a pretty emotional day coming up tomorrow. I think we should all go with them."

"It's kind of creepy, Mom. I don't want to think about listening to someone's will. I still feel bad about the old guy. He really was cool."

"Let's do it for them, ok? I don't think it will take long, and we can go and have lunch afterwards. Now go. Run over and see what they're doing. And take Bocelli back with you. If he whistles at Burt one more time there will be no living with that man."

* * *

><p>Finn walked up to the apartment holding Bocelli and swinging him gently. He noticed the door was slightly ajar, and smelled what he thought was smoke. Putting the bird down, he pushed the door open and saw that it was, indeed, smoke. The smoke detector was hanging by it's wires from the ceiling, making a low beeping sound.<p>

"Kurt, where are you? Blaine?"

He heard coughing coming from the living room, where Blaine was pushing open their sliding door. "Over here, Finn."

"Yuck. What is that smell?"

"Fish Sticks. In a previous life."

"Where's Kurt? And wow, dude…that is some smell." Finn waved his hand back and forth in front of his face, but it didn't help.

"Your brother, in his infinite wisdom, didn't read the box properly. He was supposed to put the fish sticks on a non-stick pan. His translation of this was to grease the pan. And there you go."

"Makes you wish he was cooking something like a meatloaf. So where is he?"

"He ran out to get some air fresheners. I think it's going to take more than some pine scented little trees to fix this."

"I brought your feathery child back, but I don't think he should be subjected to this. I'll take him back home with me. Mom just wanted me to check on you guys. How you doing, Hobbit? You ok?"

Realizing that there wasn't much that he could do about the smoke, Blaine sat down on the couch.

"Finn…come over here where I can see you." They both laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of that statement. "I can see your big feet. That's about it."

"I'm not going to stay. Just let Kurt know that I stopped by to check on you both. What time do you have to be at the lawyers tomorrow?"

"One O'clock. I'm not sure why we even have to go."

"Well, Mom and Dad will be there with you. It'll be fine."

"Aren't you coming?" There was a neediness in Blaine's voice that really touched him. "I mean…you don't have to…"

"I'll be there. No worries, ok? And listen…I think your bird has some unnatural feelings for Burt." Finn looked up at the smoke detector on the way out. "And what's the story here?"

"Your brother beat it like a piñata. It was quite a spectacle."

* * *

><p>"Mom, how do I look?"<p>

"Finn, you look great. And a tie. How nice."

"Is it too much?"

"I think it's just perfect. So before she gets here, tell me about your friend. Where did you meet her?"

"At a party last year. She was just, so different. And she wasn't impressed by me, that's for sure."

There was a knock at the door, and Finn jumped. He had wanted to go and pick Hannah up, but she wanted to drive herself over to the house. That way, she said, if it was awkward she would be able to make, as she said, a "fast break."

"Are you going to answer it, Finn?"

"No."

"Then be prepared for leftovers for the next week since I cooked for four people."

"Ok, ok." He walked to the kitchen door and opened it slowly. She looked beautiful. "Come in."

Carole walked over and introduced herself to Hannah. "It's so nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you." A fib, obviously.

"I hope it's been all good." She smiled, and Carole saw why Finn was attracted to her. She was adorable.

"Finn, go get your father. Dinner is just about ready." She gestured with her hand to invite Hannah into the living room. "Please, sit down. I love your dress."

"Thank you so much. I made it. I can't stand paying for something when I can do it myself. Finn thinks that's weird."

"Well, I think it's practical. And nice to see in this day and age."

Burt walked into the room and held out his hand. "Burt Hummel. Nice to meet you."

"And you too. Finn tells me that you own the best service station in Ohio. I have a clunker of a car, so I think you and I are going to become fast friends."

They all laughed, and Carole looked at her watch. "I'm doing to go put dinner out. You three talk."

Which they did. About cars. About school. Finally, without thinking about it, Finn asked Hannah how she knew David Anderson.

"It's a long, sordid story." She looked at them and realized they may have gotten the wrong impression. "Eww, no, not like that. David is kind of like my father, or something."

"But Blaine has never mentioned you."

"Well, he wouldn't really. He doesn't know much about me. It was better that way." Burt and Finn looked at each other.

Before they could say anything else, Carole called them in for dinner. Finn pulled the chair out for Hannah, and then for him mom. Carole smiled to herself. He must like her.

As they sat talking and passing plates around, Finn looked down at his. The spaghetti and meatballs were mocking him, daring him to pick them up without an issue. He just stared back, surrendering.

"Hudson, what's with you? I've seen you eat, remember? There's no mystery there." Hannah wound her spaghetti onto her fork and slid it into her mouth. "See? What are you waiting for? Training wheels on your meatball?"

Burt and Carole cracked up. Yes, they liked Rachel. But she followed Finn around like a puppy dog. This one was different. They liked it. She challenged him.

Hannah looked over at them. "If you don't mind, I'm going to just get this over with so that we can move on with this delicious meal." She used her form to pick up a meatball from her plate, and pressed it against the front of her dress, leaving a saucy stain.

"There…I'm the one who made a mess of themselves first. Now could you please get over yourself? I'm hungry."

At that moment, Finn knew that she was the one. And he knew that he had to talk to Rachel.

It was time.

* * *

><p>Kurt and Blaine dressed for the meeting at the lawyer's office mostly in silence. While he would miss Mr. Collins terribly, Kurt had no way of knowing the full impact of this loss on Blaine. He knew that he had been a protector to Blaine at a time when he needed it most, but was there more? Kurt had felt uneasy the other day when Blaine said that Mr. Collins protected him from his father. Was there more to the strain between Blaine and David? He would talk to him about it…but not today.<p>

"You look very handsome," he said to Blaine as he walked into the living room. "I've always said that blue is your color."

Blaine laughed. "Kurt, you say that every color I have on is my color. But thank you. You look pretty good yourself. I wish we were getting dressed for a happier occasion."

"I know. But we'll get through this together, ok? And the family will be there with us." At that moment, they heard a honk outside and knew that it was time to go.

As they locked up and walked towards the car, Kurt brushed the back of his hand against Blaine's, who took it in his. This was what Finn was talking about. Touches like that said it all.

Blaine opened the door and he and Kurt slid into the back seat next to Finn.

"I see you're wearing your dress sneakers, Finn. Good look." Blaine gave him a weak smile, and Finn nudged him with his shoulder. As they pulled out of the driveway, Burt was surprised by the silence from behind him. It was deafening.

Finally, Kurt spoke up.

"Mom…what do they want from us? Are they going to try to take the lake house away? And can we fight that?"

"Maybe we shouldn't." They all looked at Blaine, including Burt, from the rear view mirror.

"What do you mean? Mr. Collins gave it to us. It was a gift." Kurt was not willing to part with the place that had given them so many good memories.

"Kurt is right, honey. Unless it can be proven that Mr. Collins was not capable of making a decision like that, or unless one of his children…"

"He didn't have any children."

"Then it should be fine, ok? And whatever happens there today, we'll deal with it as a family." Carole looked at Blaine and nodded. She didn't want to mislead him, but she also didn't think that what they had been given could be taken away without a valid reason. She glanced over at Burt, who was lost in his own thoughts. Although he acted as if it bothered him, what he wouldn't give right now to hear the bickering from the back seat that he had become accustomed to.

* * *

><p>When they got to the lawyers office, a secretary that showed them to the conference room where they would be meeting greeted them. Inside was a long table surrounded by uncomfortable looking chairs. Probably to keep people on guard, Kurt thought to himself. At the front of the room was a screen that was lowered. Again, Kurt looked at it strangely. Weird time to show a movie.<p>

They were all still standing when a tall, imposing looking man walked in with a file folder in his hand. He introduced himself, and asked that they all take a seat.

"And which one of you is Blaine Anderson?"

"I am, sir." Blaine shifted in his uncomfortable seat.

"The reason we are here, Mr. Anderson, is because at the request of the deceased…"

"Please don't call him that. Please." Feeling the knot forming in his throat, Blaine put his head down so that the tears that were forming wouldn't betray him and slide down his face.

Burt felt the need to say something.

"You have to understand. This was very sudden. Mr. Collins had just been at their wedding not long ago. They had just come back from their honeymoon when they heard the news."

The lawyer looked at the boys, shocked to hear the term "wedding" with two so young.

"My apologies. Mr. Collins asked that, when the end came, that we would contact you about his estate. I have something that I need to play for you, and then I will answer any questions that you may have."

He pushed a button, and on the screen appeared Mr. Collins. Blaine felt a gasp escape from his mouth, audible enough for the others to hear and look at him with their hearts aching.

"Ok, so I think I am supposed to say that I am of sound mind and body. Is this on? I hate modern technology. Ok…I, Walter Edward Collins, state that this is my last will and testament."

They were all transfixed on the screen as he continued.

"As you can see, there is no one else in the room but you, Blaine…and Kurt…and those who love you and would want to be with you at a time like this. It is only you that I wanted to hear this, Blaine, because you are like a son to me. Even when we didn't see each other for so long, I always thought about you, and wondered if you were happy."

Blaine felt the tears now falling down his cheek as he gripped Kurt's hand.

"When you were a young boy, Blaine…I remember always wanting you to be able to grow into the amazing young man that you are now. To never be afraid. To always be you."

All eyes were on Blaine as they realized that the hopes of Mr. Collins had come true.

"You used to run to my store and hide, remember? While I hated what was being done to you, son…it made me happy that I was able to be there for you. And I should have been honest with you. I've been sick for a pretty long time now. But that was my burden, not yours. And one of my dreams came true when I got to see you married to Kurt. He is who you've been waiting for your whole life, Blaine. I'm so happy that you found him early on. Think of all of the wonderful years that you have ahead of you with that young man."

Blaine spoke, barely above a whisper, to the screen. "I know."

"So, the reason that I have you here looking at this old fossil in front of you is because I wanted to thank you for all that you have given to me in my life, Blaine. You know the Mrs. and I didn't have any children. And you know why. I don't have a lot, Blaine, but what I have, what I leave behind, I want the bulk of it to go to you and to Kurt."

The boys looked over at the lawyer, who was focused on the man speaking to them.

"The store is yours to do what you want to do with it. If you would like to keep it, great. It gets busy at certain times of the year and would be a nice source of income. If you want to sell it, that's fine too. I understand that running a general store in a small town might not be in your plans. Whatever you choose to do is alright by me."

Blaine looked at the man that was talking to him seemingly from the beyond. It was hard to believe that he would never be sitting across from him at the counter in the store anymore.

"My home is going to be sold and the proceeds are going to go into a trust for you which you can access at any time. I'm not going to be like your father, Blaine. If you need it now, it's yours. I've also made a stipulation that ten percent of the proceeds go to your stepbrother, Finn Hudson, for his college education. I like that young man, even though he called me "dude" on several occasions. I know what he means to you and Kurt, and if he is that important to you, then he matters to me. He has good parents, and I want to make it a little easier on them."

Burt and Carole looked at each other in shock. They didn't even know him, and yet he wanted to make sure that those around Blaine were taken care of. They looked over at Finn, who had his head down and was overwhelmed by this act of kindness from someone who he had clearly made an impression on.

"Finally, Blaine, any payout from my insurance will be split between two people. You, of course. And to _my_ Kurt. I have to take care of the two most important men in my life. The attorney will work everything out."

Blaine nodded to himself, wishing that Mr. Collins had been able to spend his life wrapped in the joy of someone that loved him. He wished that he had told him more often what he meant to him. It was a mistake that Blaine wouldn't make with his family. They would always know their value to him.

"And so, my friend, it's time to say goodbye. It has been the biggest pleasure in my life to know you, to see you grow from a child to a man. To see you smile. To see you happy. And Kurt…take care of him for me. He's special, you know."

With those final words, the screen went blank. There was not a dry eye in the room, except for the attorney, who excused himself from the room to give them all a few moments to gather themselves.

Blaine was inconsolable. Carole nudged Burt, who walked around the table and pulled Blaine into a hug. It was so hard for them all to see Blaine grieving like this. Nothing seemed to come easy for him, despite all of the privileges in his life.

Kurt looked around him at the people sitting around the table. Every single one of them loved him without question. He was lucky. And he was happy that Blaine had Burt. David Anderson had come a long way, but Kurt had some suspicions that there were some ghosts that had not come to the surface yet.

When the attorney walked back into the room, they all sat back down.

Carol had all of these wonderful men around her at that table, and yet, at this moment, she needed to be the strong one, for them. "What is the next step? Does Blaine need to do anything?"

"No, right now all of the paperwork is being drawn up as far as the property and division of insurance money. We'll mail everything to him. I'd like to offer my condolences to all of you. I can tell this was a good man."

"Yes, he was. Thank you again. We'll show ourselves out. Come on, boys…Burt…"

They walked slowly from the room, nodding to the secretary as they passed. Once outside of the building, they walked quietly to the car, each lost in their own thoughts. Kurt stopped to wait for Blaine to catch up, and as he turned, he looked at Finn walking with his arm around Blaine, pulling him close to him as if to protect him from any more harm. He called out to Carole.

"Mom?"

She turned around and looked at him. "Yes, Kurt? What is it, sweetie?"

"Thank you for giving me Finn. Thank you for giving me you. Thank you for…" and with that, her arms were around Kurt. Her son not of her blood, but of something deeper. Of her heart.

"Oh, honey. I'm just so glad that we all found each other. I mean, really? Look at us…who else would want us? We're a mess."

They both laughed, and she put her hand against Kurt's tear stained cheek. "You, Kurt…mean the world to me. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Can we get him home?"

"Of course we can. We were going to go out to get something for lunch. But how about we go home and order in?"

"Pizza?"

She put her arm through his. "Anything you want, child of mine."


	7. Being Blaine

**A/N-This is a shorter chapter than most of mine, but it is a necessary set up for the next chapters, which will address Hannah's role in things, the hidden relationship between David Anderson and his son, and much more. This one, however, focuses on Blaine...always the strong one...Thanks to all who take the time to review. It is MUCH appreciated! **

"Why don't we grab the pizza and bring it to the lake house? Mom and Dad haven't seen it yet?"

Blaine nodded at Kurt. "That's fine."

"Are you sure? If you don't want to go there, it's ok."

"It's fine, Kurt."

They stopped at one of the local pizza places and ordered two to go. Finn could barely resist eating a slice in the car. As they pulled up to the lake house, Blaine was filled with a rush of sadness. It was finally all too much for him.

"This is amazing. I love the lake being right there. How's the fishing here, Blaine?"

Kurt chimed in. "There are plenty of fish, Dad. And they are particularly aggressive."

Unlocking the door, Blaine stepped back so that everyone could step inside. It was exactly the same as when they left it the last time, which seemed so long ago.

"The fireplace is beautiful. How long was this house in your family?"

Blaine thought for a moment. "I'm not sure, really. As long as I can remember. It really didn't mean much to them. Just a tax write off."

"Well, I'm so glad that it belongs to you two now. Think about all of the wonderful moments you'll have here with _your_ family."

"If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." Blaine headed slowly up the steps to the loft upstairs. He felt almost as if he couldn't walk because his feet felt so heavy.

Finn gathered up plates from the kitchen, and they all sat around the table, making small talk about the area. Kurt kept glancing over at the stairs, wondering what was taking Blaine so long to come back. He finally decided to see what was happening.

"I'll be right back. I just want check up on him. Maybe he decided to lay down." As he headed up the steps, Kurt listened for any sound of movement from the loft. There was nothing. As he reached the top, he saw Blaine sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at his hands.

"If you don't hurry, Finn will have devoured everything including the boxes."

"I'm not hungry, Kurt." He didn't even look up.

"Penny for your thoughts." Kurt was beginning to sense there was more going on than Blaine just being tired from the events of the day.

"Make love to me, Kurt." The look on Blaine's face was not one of desire, but of complete desperation. "Please."

"That's something that you don't even have to ask. But, you do remember that the family is right downstairs. I don't want to brag, but we aren't the most quiet of lovers."

Blaine returned to looking down at his hands. "You're right. Nevermind."

"No, not nevermind. I can send them on an errand so that we can have some time alone. You do know that…"

"It's ok, Kurt. I just wanted to feel good. I wanted to feel anything than what I feel right now. I just wanted to feel…you…wanting me."

Kurt wished that Blaine would cry…yell…do anything to let go of what he obviously was feeling. He sat down and leaned against him. "We could always go out to the car. You know what an adventure our vehicular lovemaking has always been." A slight smile came to Blaine's face.

"I remember." He got up and reached out for Kurt's hand. They walked down the steps, as the family was finishing up their meal. He felt bad that Kurt hadn't eaten anything, but he would send it along with him.

"Are you boys ready to head back, or do you want to hang out a bit longer?" Burt was standing near the fireplace now, running his hands along the stone mantle.

"No, I think you should all head back to beat the traffic out of here."

"Are we staying here tonight? I don't know if we have any clothes here. Let me run up and check." As Kurt was turning to go back up to their bedroom, Blaine grabbed his arm.

"You're not staying, Kurt."

The look on Kurt's face was as if he'd been struck. "I don't understand. Why?"

"I need you all to leave. I love you all, but I need you to please go."

Kurt was nearly begging now. "Blaine, please…don't do this. I know you're hurting, but please don't send me away. Let me stay with you. I don't want you alone. Please." He tried to grab Blaine's hand, but he pushed it away.

Carole looked at him and shook her head. "Sweetheart, we're your family, and we love you. Please don't push us away. Let us be there for you."

"Why? So that when Kurt and I are not together anymore you can discard me too?"

Kurt was scared to death. What was he talking about…"when Kurt and I aren't together anymore."? This was spiraling quickly and he needed to stop it.

"Blaine, I'm not going anywhere. Till death do us part, remember?"

Blaine sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. "I just need some time, ok? I don't know what's happening. I don't know what I did…"

Burt walked over to where Blaine was sitting and knelt down in front of him. "Kiddo, you didn't do anything. What happened to Mr. Collins was time marching on. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault."

Kurt was watching all of this play out and felt lightheaded. What was happening?

"Burt, when your wife left you, did she do it on purpose?"

"Of course not. It wasn't her choice to leave me, or Kurt. And I sort of resent the implication, if you want me to be completely honest. No one here has done anything but love you, Blaine."

"When people leave me, they do it consciously. They do it on purpose. do you understand that? They sign me away like I am nothing to them. I need to figure out what it is about me that makes people want to dispose of me. I don't think I can take it anymore." He began to feel the sting of tears welling, and he couldn't look at the faces around him, especially Kurt's.

"Dude, no one here wants to leave you. It's exactly the opposite." Finn didn't like seeing Blaine hurting like this, but even more, he didn't like what this was doing to Kurt.

"Look, it's not you all, ok. It's me. I just need to figure out how to make people stop leaving me because the next person to go will be Kurt, and that will kill me."

Kurt was crying now. "My heart, I'm not going anywhere. You can't get rid of me."

"Please just give me tonight, ok. Kurt, I'm sorry. But I need to figure this out for myself. I love you so much. But I can't move forward if I can't fix me."

Kurt blurted out, louder than he wanted to, "You AREN'T broken, Blaine. Please…please don't send me away from you. I don't want to go."

Blaine looked at his husband, at those blue eyes that were full of tears, and with all of the strength he could muster, he ended the conversation.

"Please lock the door on your way out."

* * *

><p>As he got to the top of the steps, Blaine could still hear his Kurt crying out for him, followed by the sound of the door slamming. Had he just made the biggest mistake of his life by shutting Kurt out like this? They had never spent a night apart. Never not said I love you before they closed their eyes. This would be the longest night of his life, but Blaine needed this. As he heard the car start and then pull away, he fought the urge to run downstairs and stop them.<p>

He lay down on the bed…their bed…to think about the last year. His mother and her antics. His accident. His false break up with Kurt. Karofsky and his issues with Kurt. Sam. Changing schools. Losing Mr. Collins. His father.

His father.

Sleep overtook him as soon as he put his head on the pillow. It was a fitful few hours, where he kept reaching over for Kurt only to realize that he wasn't there. Looking up at the darkening sky through the skylight, he reached into his pocket to see if there were any messages. There were three. None from Kurt.

Blaine thought about his life. Yes, he was a child of means. He never wanted for anything. No, that wasn't true. He had material things. But not the touch of someone who loved him. Not until Kurt. He was merely an accessory for his mother…something to parade around and show off. He thought about the times at the lake house, where his mother was blind to the fact that he was tormented by so many, including his father.

"Stop acting like a girl."

"Toughen up."

"Don't be such a fag."

A fag. That one hurt the most. Because he was being condemned for being himself. A so he sought refuge with Mr. Collins, the only adult in his life that really seemed to "get" him. Of course, now Blaine knew that it was because they shared the same "secret"…but it didn't matter. He was kind to him. And how he was gone.

They always leave. In some way or another. Everyone in his life leaves because he just isn't good enough for them to stick around. And why would Kurt be any different?

* * *

><p>Blaine felt his heart racing as he thought about a life without Kurt Hummel in it. He couldn't. It was as if they were destined to be together from birth. A series of events brought into the same space, breathing the same air…and his life was set. He had found his other half. They were married now. And Blaine was terrified.<p>

Blaine and Kurt had been talking about a child. Not yet. But in their future. How could he be the kind of parent his child would deserve when the examples in his life were not what he would call stellar. His own parents didn't want him, until recently when his father had been making an effort. He wanted a child with Kurt. But right now he felt it was for the wrong reason—to correct the wrongs in his life. That wasn't fair to a child. And it wasn't fair to Kurt.

He felt hungry, and made his way down to the kitchen, where the leftover pizza was still sitting on the table in the open box. He laughed to himself when he thought about Finn, and his ability to eat more slices than he and Kurt combined. Lifting a slice of cold pizza, it felt like a light went off in his head.

Blaine did have an example of what it meant to be a good parent. He had Burt and Carole. They accepted him into their family even when, at first, they thought it wasn't the right thing. They were there for him in the hospital, in the courts, in every sense. He was their son in every way other than biological. Mr. Collins was right…these are good people. And he owed them an apology for his behavior.

Sitting on the couch and looking around the room, Blaine thought about how many times he and Kurt had made love here, in front of the fireplace that Burt admired. About the laughter they shared when Kurt was trying his hand at chair tipping. He laughed when he thought about the outfit that Kurt was wearing one time when gathering up wood.

Kurt. His Kurt.

How many times had Kurt run away from him, and away from his feelings? He was so afraid of being left alone, of Blaine leaving him, and he felt a knot in his throat as he thought to himself that what he had just done has been Kurt's worst fear?

Blaine checked his phone again, and there was a new message from Finn. "We love you, Hobbit. Not right now, cause you're acting weird…".

He got up from the bed and walked to the bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was a mess. Kurt would not approve. His eyes held sadness…mostly because he was missing him. His eyes. They way he held him. And the sound of his voice as he said, "I love you." All he could hear in his head now was the sound of Kurt yelling out to him, begging him not to send him away.

He always promised Kurt that they were a team. Forever. And he had broken his promise.

Blaine dialed Kurt's phone, but it went right to voice mail. The sound of him made Blaine miss him even more. They had barely been apart for a few hours, and it was too long. He needed to discuss all of this with his partner. His husband. He didn't leave a message. He would try to call again in a few minutes.

He told Kurt up in the bedroom that he wanted to feel something good. All he had to do, really, was think about the two of them together. That moment when he first saw Kurt…the first time they made love in the guest house…moving into their apartment…packing lunches together…their wedding day…the messes of their day to day life…

Yes, there had been bad things in his life, but the good really did outweigh the bad. And he wouldn't trade a second of his last year because even with all of the trials, it led to he and Kurt being married. To the vows they made to be there for each other. He always thought…always feared…that Kurt would leave him. But it wasn't true. Kurt may sulk, and he may hide in their big closet. But when it mattered, when he needed him most, Kurt would always be there.

Blaine walked to the door to go sit on the wicker rockers that they enjoyed so much, grabbing an old magazine that was on the coffee table. He turned the knob, and pulled his phone out and dialed Kurt's number one more time. As it began to ring, he heard the sound of "Single Ladies" coming from out in the darkness. He had just recently changed his ring tone as sort of an inside joke amongst his friends. Blaine flipped on the porch light.

"Kurt?" He tried to focus his eyes, but didn't see anyone out there. Walking off of the porch, he heard the sound getting louder. Where was he?

"Beautiful, where are you?" Blaine scanned the area in front of the house, and that's when he saw him. Sitting in the dark, at the end of the dock. He was facing the water, but Blaine knew that he was crying by the movement of his shoulders.

He walked towards him, and as he got closer, Kurt turned to look up at him. That look broke his heart into what felt like a million pieces. Kneeling down next to him, he put his hand on Kurt's face.

"I'm so sorry, Kurt. I'm so sorry I did this to you. I'm sorry I was so selfish."

Kurt nodded, no words forming just yet. He leaned his cheek into Blaine's hand, and he felt the warms of the tears that he had caused. Blaine lifted Kurt's chin and looked into those eyes…even now, when he was hurting so badly, Kurt didn't leave him. He sat there all this time, even though he was afraid of the dark, hoping…waiting…for that door to open.

"Can we talk? I mean, really talk. I have so many things that I need to get out, Kurt. I have some things that I need to tell you….and it won't be easy for me."

"You can tell me anything. Don't you know that?" He took Blaine's hand, and they walked back to the lake house. Their lake house. Before they stepped inside, Blaine stopped and looked at Kurt. He really is beautiful, he thought to himself.

"Why didn't you go, Kurt? Why didn't you leave with the others?"

"How could I? My husband needed me. He didn't know it yet. But I did."


	8. What Matters Most

They closed the door behind them and were, at last, alone together.

"I'm really sorry, beautiful. I should never have asked you to leave. And I'm glad that you didn't."

"Blaine, I know you. You don't like looking…I don't know, weak isn't the word…but I know you don't like for it to look like you don't have control of a situation. This whole thing with Mr. Collins has been very unsettling. So it's ok. Just please don't do it again. I don't like the dark, and I felt completely vulnerable to the elements out there."

"But the weather was…"

"The fish, Blaine. There, I've said it. They smelled my fear and were circling. You basically saved my life by opening that door."

"Come here, Kurt." Blaine walked to the couch and sat in one corner, patting the seat next to him so that they could hold each other and talk. "I really do love you, you know."

"I know."

"There are some things that we need to talk about. That I need to tell you." Blaine's mood was suddenly serious.

"Oh, no. Blaine…are you trying to tell me…are you saying…that you're…a Republican?" Kurt threw his hand to his forehead as if fainting, bringing a smile to his new husband's face.

"No. I would never tell you anything like that. I don't think you could take it." Pulling Kurt to him, he wrapped his arms around his narrow shoulders and as Kurt laid his head back, Blaine closed his eyes and took in his scent.

"You smell good."

"I'm sure that beats the alternative, no?" Blaine's hands moved down to around his waist, and Kurt took them in his, running his thumb along his palm.

There was silence for a few moments as they just held each other, and then Kurt heard Blaine take a deep breath. "I feel expendable."

"Ok, before I say anything about that statement, I need you to know that I am completely biased and adore you. That being said…"

"Kurt, I don't expect you to stroke my ego. I really don't. I'm just having a hard time with the fact that my family…and I'm not talking you and the others…but _my_ family seems to think that I don't have any value. I mean, look at my mother…"

"Nope. Don't want to."

"Tell me the truth, ok. After my accident, did she even care? Did she come to see me, because I don't remember."

Kurt did. She came to see him once. And it was really all business. She had deceived all of them, really. Their first meeting with her was full of niceties, but Kurt found that she was nothing more than a schemer who hurt people along the way. Mostly her son.

"You can't judge everything by that woman, Blaine. She feels nothing for anyone but herself. But look at your dad. He's come around, right? I mean, he's almost kind of cool, in a "how cool can a father really be" kind of way."

"I know. And I know I'm just being whiny. We have so much to be thankful for in our life, Kurt. It's just…losing Mr. Collins…sometimes don't you just wish you were ten years old again and didn't have to worry about grown up things? Don't you wish you could just stomp in a rain puddle and get all wet and no one would care?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Stomp in a puddle? Really?"

They both had a laugh at the thought. And then Blaine thought about Kurt as a child. He wished he had known him then.

"Ok, so maybe not a puddle. But I think we were so in a hurry to be grown up that…"

"Are you sorry we got married? Is that what this is all about?" Kurt let go of Blaine's hands and turned on the couch to face him. The look on Kurt's face made Blaine sorry that he had even brought it up. But it was something that they needed to talk about with each other.

"Of course not, and don't even think that, sweetie. I just wish that sometimes our life didn't have so much drama in it."

"I can't argue with that."

"Kurt…sometimes I wonder about what kind of parent I'll be. I didn't have the best examples to follow. I can't imagine having a child and making him or her ever doubt how much I love them. Ever doubt their value."

"But don't you see, Blaine? The differences in you, and your parents, are like night and day. You won't be that kind of parent because you know…in that big heart of yours…you know what it felt like. And you won't make the same mistake."

"I hope you're right, Kurt. Because if you aren't, I really can't see the point in raising a child. And if there's one thing I want, it's to share that experience with you."

Kurt was about to answer when his phone buzzed, and he looked down to see a text message from Finn.

"I hope he let you in. Humidity is not a friend to your hair."

"Funny. And yes, he let me in." Kurt stopped texting for a moment and looked at Blaine, his head back on the cushion and his eyes closed. What if he hadn't? "Can you come and get us tomorrow morning?"

Finn laughed to himself. "Ahh…staying over for some make up loving. Nice."

Kurt shook his head. Finn had a one-track mind. Well, two. The other was food.

"Just come and get us in the morning, ok? And bring breakfast. There's nothing here to eat." Kurt could practically hear Finn giggling like a five year old at that last statement.

"No probs. I'll see you in the morning, buddy. Give Blaine a smooch for me…LOL"

Blaine opened his eyes and looked at Kurt with a smile. "Everything ok?"

"It is. Just arranging for Finn to pick us up tomorrow morning." He crawled back onto the couch and cuddled up with Blaine.

"I love you, Kurt."

* * *

><p>"I need to take my clothes off." Kurt started undoing his tie, and Blaine smiled.<p>

"Well, I know foreplay is sometimes very overrated…"

"This suit, silly. I feel like we're getting ready to head out to church. And this has not been the most comfortable outfit to wear all night." Blaine reached over and helped Kurt with his tie, and thought back to their first night together. As lovers. It happened sometimes. Kurt would do something, and Blaine would remember small moments that made them the couple that they are.

"Let me help you." As Blaine pulled the silk tie slowly from the collar of Kurt's shirt, he leaned in and kissed him. Softly, at first. And then harder.

You, my darling husband, are the one thing in my life that I am very sure of."

"Are you trying to sweet talk me, sir?"

"A little bit, I think. Yes." Blaine stood up and reached out for Kurt's hand, pulling him towards the fireplace. "Remember that night that we danced in the dark?" Blaine held Kurt tight, and whispered in his ear. "Remember we were naked under that blanket?"

Kurt's face began to redden as he nodded against Blaine's cheek. "I remember."

"Maybe tonight" Blaine sang softly into his love's ear. "Maybe tonight by the fire all alone, you and I…"

Kurt pulled his head back and their eyes met.

"Nothing around but the sound of my heart and your sighs…" Blaine pulled Kurt back to him and held him tightly, swaying slowly in front of the fireplace.

"That's nice. I miss you singing to me. Tony Bennett?"

"Neil Diamond."

Kurt let out a sigh. "So close."

"I love you, Kurt Hummel."

"I love you, Blaine Warbler." They both laughed, and what started as some playful nudging became something more. Blaine took Kurt's hand, and turning out the light, he led him up the stairs to their bedroom.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier. Blaine…I did want to make love to you. You know that, right? I just didn't want an audience."

"I know, sweetie. I wasn't really thinking clearly." He sat Kurt down on the side of the bed, and finished unbuttoning his shirt, which he had only partially gotten done earlier. He kissed Kurt's shoulders, left…then right…as he slid the shirt off.

"You are so beautiful, Kurt. Every day, more so."

Kurt reached over and did the same, unbuttoning Blaine's shirt slowly, his fingertips brushing against his skin each time one came open. It was sending shivers down Blaine's spine.

"Come here, you." Blaine leaned Kurt down against their pillows, and kissed his shoulder again, working his way along the side of his neck until their lips met.

"I need those pants off."

Kurt looked at Blaine with that expression that weakened his knees. "I'd have to agree."

And as they had done so many nights before, they lay with their bodies pressed together…their kisses growing deeper…and under the skylight they made love until they both fell into a peaceful sleep. Blaine gave Kurt one last look before closing his eyes, thankful yet again that the last thing he saw at the end of the day was that face laying next to him.

* * *

><p>"I hope they like bagels. It was all I could think of to bring that wouldn't go all soggy on the way there." Finn looked into the bag and counted. "A dozen should be enough, right?"<p>

"There are four of us, genius. Of course there's enough. Kurt eats like a bird anyway."

Finn was glad that Puck had come along to pick up the boys. He really wanted to talk to him about the Hannah situation. That is what it had become to him. A situation.

But then, he couldn't. For some reason, he wanted to solve this himself. Puck would just tell him to enjoy himself, and that was fine. But this girl was different, somehow. He wanted her to respect him. He wanted to act like a man.

As they pulled up in front of the lake house, Puck leaned over and honked the horn. Once the car door was opened, he yelled out for the boys. "Hey, lovers…breakfast is here."

Kurt rubbed Blaine's arm, waking him up. "I may be wrong, but I think the cavalry has arrived."

"I don't really care if it's Jack the Ripper as long as there's food."

"I was thinking. We haven't even had a moment to go see Karen and give her our souvenir from New York. She must think we've forgotten about her."

"I'm glad you brought her up, sweetie. I was thinking that I want to give Ellen some money to…you know…get caught up. Maybe put a little aside for the princess."

Kurt nodded in agreement. "I think that's a great idea. Let's stop over there this week, ok? I kind of miss the little one. And Bocelli. I think he may have moved on to another family by now."

They heard honking again, and some yelling from below.

"Is that Noah's voice?"

Blaine slid out of bed and started heading towards the stairs. Kurt cleared his throat.

"What?"

"Do you think you might want to put some clothes on?"

Blaine stopped in his tracks, and walked towards the small dresser in the corner of the room. There were only a few pieces of clothing in there, including an old favorite. He turned around and held it up to Kurt.

"Oh, no. Not that. Why is that here?"

"I don't remember. But I don't care. It's comfortable." He slid his pants back on and headed towards the stairs again. The banging on the door was loud, and he shouted louder than he wanted to.

"I'm coming."

"Not my business, man." Finn shot Puck a look. "What? I was making a funny."

Blaine opened the door and Finn yelled. "I KNEW IT! I knew you liked that shirt."

Puck tilted his head and looked at the picture. "Is that a chicken?"

Blaine laughed. "No, from what I understand from the expert here, it's a Mudhen. Come in."

Kurt was thankful for the bagels, but as usual picked at them.

"Can we do some fishing here? I know there's some there in the lake, but are they big enough to catch?"

Blaine thought for a second. "I think it's more catch and release out here. Which really is mean, if you ask me. I don't like bothering them."

"I think our young squire here has gone all Greenpeace on us, Finn. Next thing you know we'll be at their place eating tofu."

The four boys sat around the table and talked, mostly about the upcoming school year, and which of the girls Puck would be dating next.

"Maybe Rachel this year…what do you think, Finn?" He winked at Finn, who just gave him an uncomfortable look. "You think she's over you yet?"

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other, and then at Finn. Kurt spoke first.

"I don't understand. Why would Rachel be over you? Did you break up? What happened?"

Finn shifted in his chair. "You know, we were never really going out."

Blaine looked confused. "You went to prom together. I thought you…"

"Look, it's nothing, ok. I think Rachel thought it was more than it was. We're not a couple."

"Besides…your brother here has a new honey. Isn't that right?"

"Can we change the subject? I'm not in the mood right now." Finn waited for someone…anyone…to talk about something else.

"Why don't we take the left over bagels and throw them out onto the lake. It's actually kind of fun to watch them all scurrying around." Blaine picked up the remnants of breakfast, and wrapped them in a paper towel. "Finn, why don't you and Puck walk these out to the dock? We'll be out in a few minutes."

"Listen, no hanky panky with my brother while you have guests. It's not right."

"I promise. We just need to get some shoes on." Kurt looked near the door and saw their dress shoes standing side by side. Not the best footwear to go with a Mudhens t-shirt and the pullover that Kurt had on.

The four boys made their way down to the end of the dock, and took turns throwing the bagels into the water. Puck threw a whole one in, and it bobbed on the top of the water like a small inner tube.

"Ok, I'm bored with this. Who wants to go in to town?"

Blaine felt a wave of sadness come over him as he realized that every other time, the visit would include trips to see Mr. Collins. It didn't seem real that he was gone. He thought that he really should go and check the store, but he didn't have it in him yet. Not yet.

"Maybe we should just head back. Kurt and I have to catch up on some things, and we really haven't even fully settled from the honeymoon. Is that ok?"

"Yeah, no problem, Hobbit. Let me just go use the bathroom, and then we can head out."

Blaine walked towards the house with Finn and Puck, not realizing that Kurt had stayed behind at the end of the dock. He sat down and swung his legs back and forth, wondering when the next time would be that they were here. With how busy Senior year was going to be, it might be a while.

He started to get up when he noticed something that at first made him laugh, and then made him gasp. The fish that always seemed to be prowling, waiting to attack him…the one with enough energy to jump up on the dock…was stuck inside the hole of the bagel that Puck tossed in. At first Kurt thought that it was playing, but then realized that it was, indeed, stuck. It tried to move through the hole but couldn't. Its tail began to move faster and faster as it struggled to free itself.

Kurt looked around for a long branch, or anything similar, to try to shake the bagel so that the fish would fall out, but he couldn't find anything. He realized that he had two choices…walk away, or do something

"You better appreciate this. And this doesn't mean we're friends. You are not off the hook...so to speak." Kurt slid himself to the very edge of the dock and tried to swing his long leg from side to side in the water, hoping to bring the fish closer. Nothing. Blaine was coming out of the house as he saw Kurt slide into the lake.

"Kurt! Kurt, I'm coming!" Finn heard the commotion and ran down to the end of the dock, calling for his brother. When he got to the end, just before Blaine, he looked down and smiled. Kurt looked up and gave Finn a huge grin.

"Look, I saved it!" Kurt had pulled his finned nemesis out of the bagel hole and had set him free. It swam around him as if thanking him.

"Buddy, look at you. You're a hero." He reached a hand down to pick him up as Blaine watched. Kurt was covered in leaves and soaked up to his chest.

"Blaine! Did you see? He was stuck in the bagel. I faced nature!"

"I saw. Now come, lets get you dried off." He put his arm around Kurt and led him back to the house, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek on the cheek.

"You were very brave, sweetie."

Kurt looked back at Puck and Finn, who were hanging out at the end of the dock, making sure they couldn't hear him.

"Oh my God...Oh my God...there's something slimy in my pant leg, and I smell like a giant fish stick. I'm going in the shower"

Blaine smiled. "Can I join you?"

"No."

"Can I call you Stinky?

"Shut up."

"I love you."

Kurt stopped and looked at him. "How could you possibly? Look at me."

"Oh, I do. Every chance I get. Now let's get you in the shower, Captain Ahab."

"Stop it."

"Captain Crunch?"

"Stop."

"Captain and Tennille?"

"If I let you in the shower with me, will that mouth stop moving?"

Blaine winked at him. "Oh, Kurt...I seriously doubt that."

* * *

><p>Spending time with the boys always made Finn long for that type of togetherness with someone. That feeling of not wanting to be apart even for a second because you miss them so much.<p>

He tapped his fingers on the table at Breadsticks as he waited for Hannah. They were spending more and more time together, but he still really didn't know much about her. He looked up as she walked in the door, wearing a beautiful purple and green tie-die dress. She spotted him and smiled, and Finn felt a racing in his heart that was becoming more of an every day occurrence. He stood up to grab the chair for her.

"You look amazing. That dress is great."

Hannah looked down at her outfit. "It's BoHo chic."

"HoBo what?"

She shook her head. "BoHo. Bohemian. Honestly, Finn."

"Well, I don't know who this BoHo is, but I like her style."

"You, young man, need a lesson on fashion."

This caused Finn to laugh out loud, hard. "Listen, I lived with the best. If Kurt Hummel couldn't teach me about what not to wear, I don't think you have a chance." He reached his hand up and waved the waitress over. "But I appreciate your confidence."

They shared small talk throughout dinner, and Finn was just on the verge of asking Hannah some questions about her past when he looked up and saw Rachel walk through the door. She must have seen his car in the parking lot.

"Oh, no." He tried to duck behind a menu, but it wasn't working.

"What's wrong? Is it the food? I've seen you eat a two day old sandwich…"

"No. It's Rachel."

Hannah turned in her seat and was met with a look of betrayal and brown eyes that were rimmed with tears. Rachel turned and ran back out the door.

"I feel so bad. She looked so upset." He picked up his fork and began to twirl some pasta around it nervously, but Hannah put her hand on his and he stopped.

"Finn…I don't know you for very long. But I think one thing I can be sure of is that you aren't a mean person. You two obviously have a history." She looked back at the door. "Based on the look she had on her face, I don't think she thought it was in the past. You need to talk to her."

"It's so complicated."

"Then go uncomplicate it. I'll be fine. Go do the right thing, ok? I'll be right here."

She amazed him all the time. But she was right.

"Don't go away, ok? I'll be back."

"Of course you will. Now go so that you can catch her."

By the time Finn got out to the parking lot, she was gone. He looked at his watch and realized that this day was soon coming to an end, and tomorrow he would need to sit down and have the talk he had been dreading with one Rachel Berry.

* * *

><p>"Mom!" Finn stood at the bottom of the stairs and yelled up to Carol. "Mom!".<p>

Carol popped her head outside of the bedroom door. "Finn, for crying out loud, you're going to wake up the neighborhood. What's wrong?"

"My sweat pants. Where are they?"

"Which ones?"

"The sweaty pant kind of ones." Even Finn shook his head at that statement.

Carol thought for a moment. "I packed away a bunch of things you weren't wearing and put them down in Kurt's old room. Look on one of the shelves down there."

"Ok, Mom. Thanks. Oh, what's for breakfast? You child is starving here."

"Finn, it's early. Give me a few more minutes. Why don't you put the coffee on for me?"

"Can do." Finn went into the kitchen and put the coffee on. He loved the smell of it. The taste…not so much, really.

He walked to the door of Kurt's room, and saw that it was slightly opened. For a moment a thought of all of those horror movies that Carol said would give him nightmares came rushing in. He looked around for something to take down there with him, but all that was close enough was an umbrella and one of Burt's work shoes. Neither lethal. Well, the shoe, perhaps…

He grabbed the umbrella and opened the door slowly, beginning to tip toe down the steps. The creaking under his feet made him almost want to retreat back, but then he looked over at the bed.

Sitting propped up against the pillows was Kurt.

"Buddy, you almost scared the crap out of me. What's going on? Where's Blaine?"

"Is it raining out?"

Finn leaned the umbrella against the wall. "No. I thought there was a prowler down here."

"And you were going to challenge him by keeping him dry?"

"It was this or Burt's shoe."

"Probably a wiser choice."

Finn looked at Kurt and wasn't buying the fun banter between them.

"Where's Blaine?"

Kurt turned his look from Finn. "He's home."

Finn sat down on the bed next to Kurt. "Why are you here if Blaine is at home?"

"I don't remember you being this talkative in the mornings, Finn."

"Kurt…Why are you and Blaine not together?"

He looked at Finn, and his voice caught in his throat.

"I think I made a mistake."


	9. Battle Lines

"Kurt, I can't believe that you would do that to him." Finn got up from the side of the bed and turned to look at his brother. "How could you?"

"I did it for him, Finn. For him."

"I think this may be a gift he would rather not receive. I thought you were smarter than this, Kurt. I really did."

"He's hurting, Finn. What am I supposed to do? Just watch him and not even try?"

"But calling _that_ woman, Kurt. Don't you think that is the ultimate betrayal?"

Kurt looked at Finn, and it hurt him to see the disappointment on his face.

"Finn, you don't know what it's like, ok? I watch him struggling, trying to figure out what it is that he did wrong. Why he is to blame. He wakes up sometimes in the middle of the night from bad dreams…."

"I understand…" Finn was unable to finish his sentence because Kurt stood up and became more agitated by the second.

"Don't you dare judge me, Finn Hudson. I have stood by you and every ridiculous decision that you have made, I have watched you string Rachel along, and I have done nothing but love you and support you." Kurt shook his head and sat back down on the bed. "I love him, Finn. And he's hurting. What am I supposed to do? Not try to fix this if I can?"

"But what is this going to accomplish, Kurt, other than for him to feel compromised, yet again. And by you…the one person that he truly trusts no matter what."

"I need to know, Finn. He needs to know. There has to be a reason why a mother would find such joy out of causing so much torment to her child." Kurt grew quiet, and Finn knew there was more.

"What is it, Kurt?"

"Nothing. It's my problem."

"Buddy, we're a family. And that family includes Blaine. If he's hurting, it's all of our business. What is it?"

"I don't even think I can say it out loud because the thought of it being true is almost too much for me to take, Finn."

"Tell me."

"I don't think Blaine really wants to have children because he's afraid of doing the same thing. He says that he wants to be different than her, than both of them, really. These behaviors repeat themselves, Finn. What if he never wants to have children with me because of this? Because of her. Is that fair to either one of us?"

Kurt's emotions were beginning to get the best of him, and Finn hated seeing him like this.

"But look at Mr. A, Kurt. He smartened up. He and Blaine are doing ok. And he's been really supportive of you both, right?"

"Now, Finn. What about all of the years that he wasn't there for Blaine? What about…"

"Kurt, you and I both know that he was kept in the dark about a lot of things when it came to Blaine. If you want to point the finger of blame here, it points to her."

"Finn…I need him to know…really know…that the way he was treated has nothing to do with his value as a person. And he needs to hear it from her. I know that she really has no bearing on his life now, but think about it, Finn. How would you feel if you had to go through life thinking that to Carole, all that you were during your life was a tax deduction?"

Finn understood completely. "It would kill me."

"So don't you see? Doesn't he deserve to know that the reason she treated him the way he did really had absolutely nothing to do with him or any shortcomings that he had? Doesn't he deserve to feel…I don't know…like _we_ feel? Even when I was going through the absolute worst with Karofsky, and all of the taunting, I knew…always knew…that I had a safety net here with Dad. Not having that, Finn…must have been awful. And to think it was because of something you did has to be worse."

"I know. But Kurt…what are you hoping that she says? That she was wrong all of those years, what a wonderful son Blaine is, and how sorry she is for hurting him? I can assure you, that is not what's going to happen. And I don't want this backfiring on you. Or him. If you think that he can't possibly feel any worse, think about how he will feel knowing that if he has any more interaction with her, and it goes bad, it's because you provoked it."

He was right. This was not the type of person to admit any type of wrongdoing. He was just desperate to help the love of his life. Now what?

Kurt looked down at the floor and said softly "Maybe she won't answer. There's not a lot of free time to be had when your hobby is being the destroyer of people's worlds."

Finn let out a small chuckle. "This is true."

"I should get back to him. I left him a note saying that I was running out for something for breakfast. Which means I also need to stop at the store."

"Look…I'm sorry about being so upset with you about this. But this is dangerous territory, Kurt. We don't really know this woman, and what little we do know, it's not good. I remember going to pick up Blaine's clothes that she had dumped in boxes like garbage. I saw her be able to sign him away like he is nothing. Just be careful, Buddy. He trusts you. Don't betray that in the hope of making someone like her relevant. Because she isn't."

"She's his mother, Finn."

"She gave birth to him, Kurt. But she was never his mother."

* * *

><p>This day was going to rough, Finn thought to himself. First with Kurt. And then later, with Rachel. He needed to talk to her, and he knew that it was going to be very emotional. For both of them. He took out his phone and began to text her when it started to ring. It was Hannah.<p>

"Hey. What's going on, Hudson?"

"This day has disaster written all over it."

"What's up? Have they just announced an embargo on hamburger or something?"

"Funny. I have to talk to Rachel. And I'm dreading it. Like, dreading it."

"Do you want me to go with you?" After she said it, she realized it was ridiculous.

"That probably would not be the best idea you've ever had."

"Well, how about this. After you meet with her, how about I treat you to dinner?"

"No can do. It's meatloaf night here at the old homestead, and my mothers meatloaf could bring a small army to its knees." The thought of it made Finn's stomach growl. "But I'll take a rain check, ok?"

"Deal."

"Listen, let me go try to deal with this, and I'll let you know how it goes, ok?"

"Ok. And Finn…it'll be ok. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that, Hannah."

"You can hold me any way you want." She could almost see the flush in Finn's cheeks as she said that. And she meant it.

"Thanks. Later."

He began again the text he was starting earlier.

"Rach..it's me. Can we talk later?" He pressed send after hesitating for a few moments.

No response. He knew her. In her mind, she was thinking that if she doesn't acknowledge seeing Finn with another girl, then it really didn't happen. He thought he would try again in a little while when his phoned beeped.

"Ok." One word that said so much.

"How about Breadsticks?"

"No." Of course not, genius. That's where she saw them together.

"Lima Bean?" He wanted to keep this in public where her tendency to overreact would be a little more in check."

"OK."

"Is 2pm ok?"

"Ok." And then there was nothing.

Finn felt disappointed in himself. At what point did he become the bad guy?

* * *

><p>Kurt looked at Blaine, who was just so beautiful. His long lashes, the soft lines of his face…how could someone willingly hurt such a picture of perfection?<p>

"We need to get dressed and go see Karen. I'm afraid we have a very dramatic scene waiting for us."

Kurt agreed, and checked his watch. "Should we go now? Let me grab her gifts."

"Gifts? As in pleural?"

"Just small things I picked up along the way."

"And where was I when this was happening?"

"Probably being swept off into thoughts about your amazing husband. I can be very distracting, you know." Kurt walked over and kissed Blaine gently on the lips. "Very distracting."

"You're making it very difficult for me to want to leave this apartment, Kurt."

"Sorry."

"Doubtful."

They exchanged smiles and started to head towards the door when they heard a small knock. Then, a louder one.

Opening the door, they were met by one very angry young lady.

"Hello, little one. How are you?"

She looked at Kurt and Blaine, and was ready to give them a piece of her mind when, suddenly, she dissolved into tears in front of them. Kurt picked her up, holding her tightly, and brought her into the apartment.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

She buried her head into Kurt's shoulder, and he could barely hear her when she finally spoke.

"You…you forgot about me."

"That's not true. I could never forget about you. And neither could Blaine. Isn't that right, Blaine."

He put out his arms to take Karen from Kurt, and she grabbed on to him. "You are always in our thoughts, young lady. And we are always talking about you."

She looked at Blaine with small glistening tears at the corner of her eyes. "I came here to see you, and the big one…you know, the guy that got stuck in the ride that time…he said you were busy. Are you too busy for me?"

"Sweetie, it's been a very rough time for us. We lost someone very dear to us, and it's been hard dealing with that. But you know that doesn't mean that we didn't miss you."

"Promise?" She looked so small standing there, and Kurt took her hand and walked her over to the couch. "Does your mom know where you are?"

"I told her I was coming to tell you I am mad at you."

"Are you still mad at us?"

She looked back and forth between the boys. "No. But don't do that again, ok?"

"Ok. Now…would you like to see what we brought for you all the way from New York?"

Karen bounced up and down on the couch, and as they gave her each little souvenir, her smile grew brighter. Her favorite gift was the snow globe with the Statue of Liberty in it."

"She has a crown on. Is she a princess too?"

Kurt rubbed her head. "Something like that." He looked at his phone as a text message came across. "Mmm…Carole is making meatloaf. We're invited."

"Ok. Don't forget we need to talk to Ellen about…this one."

Karen looked at them and her smile changed to a frown. "Uh-oh. What did I do?"

"Nothing, sweetie. We just have something to talk to your mom about. Grown up stuff."

"But you two aren't grown up. Blaine, I'm almost as tall as you."

"Now that hurts."

She pulled Blaine up by his hand to stand next to her. "See. We could be twins."

"She's right you know. You are both equally as adorable." Kurt walked to the kitchen and grabbed a shopping bag to put all of Karen's goodies in. She seemed happy with all of the choices.

"Kurt, why don't' we walk Karen home, and we can talk to her mom about…what we discussed."

"Uh-oh."

* * *

><p>Finn sat in his car for a few minutes before going in to the coffee shop. Rachel was already there…he could see her car across the lot. For a split second, he felt like running…just saying what he needed to say via text, and then leave it at that. But Rachel deserved better. And besides, they would be seeing each other once school started again. Better they should talk and then have some buffer time in between. He was convinced that, no matter what the outcome today, he was going to be the bad guy.<p>

Mustering up some courage, Finn walked into the Lima Bean and saw her sitting in a corner. She was looking down at her lap, dreading this moment as much as he was. He made his way over, and pulled out the chair across from her. Almost immediately, the questions started.

"It's because she's prettier than me, isn't it?"

"Rachel, you are beautiful. And I've told you that many times."

"Then if I'm beautiful, why are you leaving me?"

This was a tough one. Even though they technically "dated", Finn never really felt as if Rachel was the one. When he looked at the big picture, at his future, she wasn't in it as anything more than a friend.

"I think we need to clear one thing up, ok? And I'm sorry if I misled you in any way with how I've acted…but for me, Rachel…this really was not the same relationship that you feel it was. I don't want to hurt you, hon…but I'm not in love with you."

She began to cry, wringing a tissue in her hand. "But you love her?"

"I don't know. I really don't know. Things are just different with her."

Rachel looked at him and steeled herself for the next question. "Is it because she let you have sex with her? Because if that's the kind of girl you want, Finn Hudson…"

Puck. He must have said something. Note to self, Finn. Tell Puckerman nothing.

"Rachel, do you know that one of the things I admire most about you is the fact that you hold on to your convictions? That you aren't some easy girl who does that with her body to get a guy? Do you understand what an amazing quality that is?"

"Then why? I don't understand?" The tears were falling harder now. He didn't want to hurt her, but he needed to be very clear with her.

"You know in the movies when you see a couple lock eyes together for the first time, and you hear all of that sappy music, and everything becomes slow motion?"

She nodded, and kept dabbing at her eyes.

"I don't want to make you feel bad about this…but, I don't feel that when we're together. I'm sorry. I wish I did. But that's something you can't fake. Would you want to be with someone that you knew didn't see a lightening strike every time they saw you walk into a room? Because you should, Rachel. You deserve that."

"But I love you, Finn. Please don't do this to us."

He thought about reaching across the table to take her hands, but then realized that there was no sense in confusing things.

"Sweetie…there is no us. I'm sorry. But it's the truth."

Looking as if she'd been slapped in the face, Rachel picked herself up from the chair and took one final look at him.

"I hate you."

Finn looked at her tear-stained cheek and red eyes.

"I know."

* * *

><p>"I'm glad you called me. I think you need some cheering up." Hannah climbed into the passenger seat of Finn's truck, and fastened her seat belt. "How bad was it?"<p>

"I hurt her. And I didn't want to do that. She's a good girl, you know?"

Hannah nodded and turned to look out the window. A small smile crept across her face, which Finn noticed out of the corner of his eye. "What's funny?"

"Nothing is funny. I was smiling because of the kind of person you are. It was a good smile. The kind that tells me that you aren't one of those guys who takes advantage of a girl. I like that."

"Then why do I feel so bad?"

Hannah reached over and took Finn's hand. "Because, Finn…you are also the kind of guy that has a conscience. So, tell be about this meatloaf."

"It's the best. I mean, like…in another life my mom was Betty Crocker kind of good."

" I can't wait. But why are we going this way?"

"I have to pick up the boys."

She laughed at this term of endearment. "The boys?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, as long as they've been together, we've called them that. Not sure why, really."

"So…are they happy?"

"I don't think there are two people walking the earth that are happier to be together. They were made for each other, really. You'll see, when we're all together."

Finn was curious about Hannah's life, but didn't want to push. And he was really curious about her connection to David Anderson. One question, perhaps.

"So…is Blaine's dad like a friend of the family?"

"Yeah…something like that. I've known him a long time."

"So you know Blaine then?"

She shook her head. "No, not really. I mean, I know of him, and have had some distance encounters at events, but we don't' really know each other. It's a shame because I understand he's a pretty good guy."

"He's the best. But, please…don't ever tell him I said that."

They pulled up to the apartment complex, and Finn turned to Hannah with a smile. "You will now, after tonight, officially have met all of my family. Heaven help you." He got out of the truck and walked over to her door to let her out. They walked up to the door, and she looked down at the welcome mat.

"Love Lives Here. Huh. Nice sentiment."

"It's the truth. You'll see." He knocked on the door, and Kurt answered, pulling the door open dramatically.

"Welcome to Castle Hummel-Anderson. Come in."

Finn looked at him. "You're weird. Where's the Hobbit.?"

"He's finishing getting dressed. And we haven't really been properly introduced even though you were at my wedding. I'm Kurt." He reached out his hand and she took it, shaking it slightly.

"I'm Hannah. And your reception was beautiful. Can I ask? Is that vest Ralph Lauren?"

Kurt slammed his hand to his heart. "It is, yes. How did you know?" He took her arm and led her to the living room, leaving a smiling Finn in their wake.

"It's the lines, really. And those buttons. Is there anyone, really, that does a nautical button any better?"

Kurt looked at Finn and, even though he felt guilty about Rachel, couldn't help but saying it. "Ok, this one we need to keep."

Blaine walked out of the bedroom, and Kurt melted when he looked at him. He was wearing jeans and a blue button down shirt. And he looked delicious.

"Blaine, this is Hannah. And somehow I think you two may be connected. Six degrees of separation or something like that. Anyway, I'm starving. Can we get going soon?"

Hannah looked at Blaine and was immediately struck by the resemblance to David Anderson. They had the same dark features…the same curly hair. Looking at David was really looking at a vision of the future Blaine.

"It's nice to meet you, Blaine. I've heard a lot about you from Finn."

"Don't hold it against me, ok?" He shook Hannah's hand and for a moment was struck by something familiar in her eyes.

When Hannah looked at the two of them, she understood what Finn meant when he said that everyone referred to them as "the boys." It fit, really. They weren't mean in the biological sense, even though they were married, and they had something about them that made you want to protect them. She just really met them, and she felt it immediately.

Finn paced around. "Where's Birdzilla?"

"He's still with Ellen and Karen. We need to get him back or sign him over to them."

"No, Kurt. There will be no signing over of Bocelli. He's ours."

"Blaine, I was just kidding. We'll get him tomorrow, ok?"

Blaine nodded, and felt bad for snapping like that. He gave a weak smile to their guests and sat down on the couch. He was about to say something when there was a knock at the door. Kurt looked at him, and told him to stay where he was.

As he slowly opened the door, he felt as if he had gotten a punch to the chest. He no longer had to worry about how to tell Blaine that he had contacted his mother. The evil had now landed right on their doormat.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too, Kurt. And if I recall correctly, it was you who left me a message that you wanted to talk. Now don't be rude. Let me in."

Kurt began to push the door closed. "Not now. Please."

From over his shoulder, he heard Blaine. "What's going on, sweetie? Is someone trying to sell you something? Tell them we have everything we need. Unless it's Girl Scout cookies. You can never have too many Thin Mints."

Kurt looked at her through the small opening of the door. "Please. We can't do this now. Not here."

"Don't' be silly, Kurt. I'm a busy woman and don't have time for childish nonsense. You said you needed to tell me something about Blaine and his money from his father. I'm all ears."

"What's going on? Why is she here?" Blaine had made his way to the door and was shocked to find his mother standing there. "Kurt…why is she here?"

Before she could say that Kurt had contacted her, she pushed her way in past Kurt and was faced by Finn and Hannah. Finn stood up, waiting for a confrontation, wondering how well it would go over if he tossed a woman out on her rear end.

But they were all frozen where they were as Hannah was the one that spoke first.

"Hello, Mother."


	10. Defense

**A/N-Thank you to everyone who has written to tell me they were glad I'm back writing about the boys. So am I :) This chapter is a bit shorter than most of mine, but it is a lead up to some big chapters coming up. Thanks for your reviews. Peace.**

All eyes were on Hannah as she walked towards Blaine's mother, not a shred of fear on her face. Hannah looked past her towards the door, and smiled.

"So just where is it that you parked your broomstick?"

"Still a charmer, I see. So which of these fine young men have you latched on to? Oh, forgive me…I forgot…these two don't like girls."

Finn snapped at her. "You, lady, are making _me_ not like girls.

Blaine looked over at Kurt, who was doing everything he could to avoid his glance. What was he thinking putting these two in the same room after everything she'd done to him?

"Kurt, you didn't tell me there was going to be a party, with all of my very favorite people here." She walked past them an sat down on the couch, making Kurt cringe to think of her touching a place where he and Blaine have made love so many times.

"Well, not everyone is here. We didn't invite the pool boy that you were sleeping with behind your husband's back. He must have had another customer today." As soon as he said it, Finn realized that it probably was like a slap in the face to Blaine, and he immediately regretted it. Blaine was looking at no one now, focused on a small spot on the carpet where her shadow crossed from where she sat.

He then looked at Hannah. "Your mother?"

She stood next to him, and set things straight. "Not by blood, kiddo…and thank God for that. If evil skips a generation, my children would be doomed."

"Then, how…?"

"Well, let's see…my father, who is a deadbeat, left my birth mother and took me. Apparently he left my mother for that one there." She pointed to Blaine's mother, and then put her hand over her mouth. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I spill one of your dirty little secrets?"

Blaine's mother looked at her son, who was fighting back tears.

"So wait. My father was not your first husband? Is he even my father?" Blaine felt a little bit lightheaded, and wanted to sit down, but not next to her. Kurt saw the look on his face, and moved to him, taking his hand. It felt cold.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Blaine. Of course he is. You two look exactly alike."

Under his breath, Finn whispered "thank God for small favors."

Hannah leaned in to Blaine. "It seems I was the lucky one here. She was out of my life so quickly that there was no real damage done. The only good thing that came out of it was David."

Blaine felt his confusion building. "David? My father?"

"Yeah. See, I was real little when all of this went on. But sadly, when I said the word "mom", it was her that I was talking about. The only mother I knew, really. Isn't that horrible? But the poor sap she put her claws into, your dad…he felt bad for me, what with the sorry lot that I had as parental figures. Crazy mother, loser father, evil stepmother…it was like some twisted fairy tale. I think he wanted to put a little sanity in my life."

"But I don't understand. He was rarely there for me. But he was for you?" He gripped Kurt's hand tighter. Finn was getting more and more agitated as this went on. Blaine was hurting, and this could not continue.

"This is a nightmare." Kurt thought he had only thought it, but when everyone looked at him he realized he had said it out loud.

"It was just financial help, Blaine. It's not like David spent time with me or anything. He helped with school, and things like that. No…sadly, your mother basically drove him out of all of our lives."

Finn looked at Blaine, a nodded. "See…your father wanted to be there for you all along. He just…"

Blaine's mother stood up and made a dismissing motion with her hand. "Ok, I've had enough of all doing a twisted version of "This Is Your Life" for my poor little rich boy son here. He had the opportunity to have everything—everything—he wanted. All he needed to do was get rid of Madam Butterfly here." She pointed at Kurt, which was enough for Finn.

"Ok, you know what, lady? My brother had the hope…the foolish hope…that you might have changed. That you might have given Blaine some peace of mind as to why you have so little regard for him. Kurt thought…really thought…that you would tell Blaine that it wasn't him. That he's not to blame for your miserable life. But that can't happen. Do you know why?"

"I'm holding my breath in anticipation."

"Because you aren't human. You don't have a heart, much less a soul, to hold any compassion for anyone but yourself. You have an amazing son here, and had a wonderful stepdaughter, and you chose to treat them both like garbage. Hannah was lucky. She got out quickly. Blaine didn't." Finn walked over to him, and put his long arm around him. "But it doesn't matter, because he has us. One day you will be lying somewhere begging for help. Don't hold your breath, because karma is a bitch."

"I'm not quite sure who you think you are, talking to me like that…"

"Get out. Get out of this home. Get out of our lives, and get back on your broomstick and fly away home."

She stomped over to the door, and brushed against the wall, knocking down a framed photo of Kurt and Blaine. She looked down at it, and then stepped on it, breaking the glass.

"Trash. Just like the two of you."

Kurt walked over to pick the frame up, knowing that this whole situation was his fault. He put it on the counter, looking over at the three faces starting at him.

Again, Hannah spoke first. "Well, that went well, no?"

Blaine looked at Kurt, and without saying a word headed towards their bedroom. Before Kurt could reach the door, he heard it slam.

"Finn, I think you and Hannah should go to dinner. This may take a while." He turned to Hannah and gave her a faint smile. "I would like to say that this was a nice time, but I'm sure you can understand if I don't. I'd like to see you again in better circumstances."

"It's ok, Kurt. We'll see each other soon. Come on, Finn. Your Mom is waiting on us." She grabbed Finn's hand and pulled him towards the door, bending down to pick up a small piece of glass that Kurt missed. Looking at it, she felt as if this is what Blaine's heart felt like right now. Shards.

Finn grabbed Kurt into a hug, knowing that what came next wasn't going to be easy. "Tell the Hobbit I love him, ok? Tell him that we all do."

"I'll tell him, Finn. I just hope he hears me."

* * *

><p>Sitting on their bed, the silence was deafening.<p>

"Blaine, I just wanted to help you. I wanted there to be some closure with her."

"What I don't understand, Kurt, is why…why now? I was almost at the point where I didn't even think about what a loser my mother is. I was almost getting through a day without thinking that she didn't want me. Why now, Kurt?"

He was angry, and Kurt didn't blame him. "It's been getting worse. The bad dreams, the anxiety. Sweetie, I would do anything for you. Anything. Don't you think it killed me to think that I needed to talk to her to try to help you? I don't really hate people, Blaine…but she is right there."

"This is our home, Kurt. She violated it once, or have you forgotten? Because I haven't. I can't forget coming home and seeing this very bed gone. Or our mirror, broken. Why couldn't you just let things be?"

"I'm so sorry, Blaine. But…"

"What lie did you tell her to get her to crawl out from under the rock she was under?"

Kurt was ashamed. "I told her that she needed to sign something for you to get another part of your money from your dad. I knew if it had to do with her possibly getting less, she would come."

"Well, congratulations. You just proved to me yet again that my mother is a gold digger who probably got pregnant with me to seal the deal as far as getting money from my father. I wonder how much I was worth."

"Please don't say that. Please…"

"And it was so nice to find out that my mother was basically a sleep around who abandoned any children that came in her path. Another fine branch to brag about on the Anderson tree."

"Blaine…"

"And by all means, lets add a child to this mess. Visit the grandparents? Well, there are two good ones…not from my side, of course."

"This has nothing to do with our children, Blaine."

"It has EVERYTHING to do with it, Kurt. When we tell our kids about our lives, what will they think of me? My own parents could have easily lived their lives without me in it. Would have been better for it, if you ask me."

There wasn't going to be any winning of this right now. "Do you want me to make you some dinner?"

"No. Let's go to your parent's house. Maybe I'll learn a few lessons in normal."

* * *

><p>When the boys got to the house, dinner had already started. Carole put plates out for them, and it was obvious to Blaine and Kurt that prior to them doming through the door, the conversation was about them.<p>

Carole passed the meatloaf to Kurt. "You know, honey, I told Hannah that you will be a great asset when she needs to shop for school clothes."

"This is true. I've been going to private school for so long that I think I've forgotten what not to wear. I really could use a hand, Kurt."

He pushed the food that was on his plate from side to side. "Umm…yeah…sure."

"Maybe you can help this guy out, too." She laughed as she pointed at Finn.

Kurt was nearly in tears at the attempt at small talk to cover up his mistake. He wanted to just run down to his old room and hide.

"I love you." Blaine said it softly, almost a whisper.

"I love you, too. And I'm sorry." Kurt reached under the table and took Blaine's hand in his, holding it against his knee.

Burt cleared his throat, and put his fork down. "I need to say something."

Hannah felt a little awkward, and asked Burt if he wanted her to go into the living room while he spoke to his family.

"No. Please stay." He looked at Blaine, and the sadness that he saw in his eyes was so hard to take. "Blaine, I just want to say this so that you understand it. Really understand it. You know, normally when a child gets married, yeah, you accept their spouse because, well, what can you do? It's your child's choice. It was never like that with you. Kurt loved you from the moment he laid eyes on you. And we had a few rough moments in this relationship, but please listen to what I'm saying to you. You are my son. Not through blood, but through my heart. And this woman here is as much your mother as she is to these two other boys."

Blaine grabbed Kurt's hand tighter, and blinked as a tear fell down his face.

"I don't care about that woman, I don't' care what she thinks, what she says…it means nothing. You don't ever have to doubt whether you have a loving set of parents, because you do, and right now, their food is getting cold. I love you, Carole loves you…and…well…that's it. Now pass me the gravy."

After dinner, everyone sat around talking, taking time to get to know Hannah better. It was nice to see Finn like this, Carole thought. And she loved watching all of the boys together. What Burt said was right. They are all family.

"Who's in the mood for dessert? Oh, shoot. I forgot to get milk today for coffee."

Blaine got up from the couch. "I'll run and get some."

Kurt stood up, too. "You want company?"

"It's ok, sweetie. I just need some air. Entertain everyone with your fabulousness. I'll be right back, ok?"

Kurt shrugged. "Ok. I love you."

"I love you too. All of you."

Finn yelled over Hannah. "I told you. You will never have me."

Blaine laughed as he grabbed his keys and headed towards the door. He told Kurt the truth…he needed some air, to clear his head. It was spinning with so many thoughts that he really couldn't think of any one of them clearly.

He made a stop before getting the milk for Carole, noticing a small coffee shop that seemed very crowded. He wanted to get lost in the masses for a few minutes. Walking up to the counter, he ordered, and found a small table in the corner that was empty.

Staring down at his coffee, Blaine didn't really know what to think anymore. Was it possible that every part of his life at home growing up was just a lie? The only thing he felt truly secure in was the fact that Kurt loves him, and without that he wasn't sure what he would do. Part of him wanted to just grab Kurt and run away—away from his past, away from this town—and just start somewhere else where no one could surface to ever hurt either one of them.

He wasn't happy about the way Kurt went about this, with his mother, but he did understand it. When you love someone, Blaine supposed, you would do anything to keep them safe. To keep them secure. If only Kurt had talked to him about it first.

Sometimes, Blaine thought to himself, he wished he could turn back time.

"Excuse me". The voice startled Blaine, who looked up to see a boy about his age, dressed impeccably, smiling down at him.

"Yes?"

"Is this seat taken? I hate to interrupt what were apparently deep thoughts, but there really is not a lot of room in here, and you looked the least…threatening."

Blaine laughed, and gestured with his hand for him to have a seat, eyeing his vest. He reminded him of Kurt the first time he saw him.

"I'm Kyle. And you are…?"

Blaine thought about the obvious answers.

Taken?

Newlywed?

Married?

"Hi Kyle. I'm Blaine."


	11. Choosing Sides

As soon as the words rolled off of his tongue, he smiled to himself.

He thought of that moment on the Dalton steps, when those blue eyes looked down at him, and his life changed forever.

"You know what, Kyle? This is your lucky day." Blaine pushed his chair out and stood up. "The table is all yours."

"Hey, I didn't mean to intrude or anything."

Blaine picked his keys up from the table. "You didn't. But I need to get home to my husband before he misses me too much."

Kyle laughed out loud at this. "Your husband. Right."

Blaine held up his left hand, showing off his wedding ring. "Yes, my husband. And my family. Now, if you'll excuse me." He grabbed his coffee and headed for the door, with no glance backwards. He wanted to get home to Kurt, and start thinking more about their future and not so much about his past. Yesterday, he thought to himself, is history.

Kurt looked at his watch and wondered what was taking Blaine so long to run to the 7-Eleven. He tried to fight off thoughts that something had happened to him when the kitchen door swung open.

"Is that you, husband of mine?" A wave of relief came over Kurt at the sound of his voice.

Blaine again smiled. "You were expecting someone else?"

* * *

><p>After dropping Hannah off at home, Finn wondered how things were ever going to be the same in the group. He knew that somehow he was going to be considered the odd man out. What he didn't want is for there to be a break down the sexes…all the girls hating him, and the guys snubbing the girls. They needed harmony in more places than their music.<p>

He thought about talking to everyone, but by now they had surely gotten to hear Rachel's side of things. And more than anything, he didn't want Hannah being hailed as the "other woman." She really is the _only_ woman.

Maybe the guys should all get together for a meeting of the minds. Surely between all of them they could figure out how to keep things going. He called Kurt to ask a question.

Now home and sitting in their living room, Kurt looked at his phone and saw that Finn was calling.

"Did you miss us already?"

"Of course I did. Listen…are you up for a boys night?"

"What do you have in mind?" He mouthed the words "boys night" to Blaine, who shook his head, thinking that Kurt asked if he wanted to go out.

"I hate to ask, buddy. But do you think that we could all go out to the lake house for a night. I need a little male reinforcement."

"Let me talk to Blaine about it, ok. But is shouldn't be a problem."

"Ok, dude. Later

Blaine turned to Kurt. "Finn ok?"

"Yeah. I think he's trying to do damage control." Blaine looked confused. "The whole Rachel thing."

"It's going to be awkward, that's for sure."

Kurt tried to hold in what he was thinking, but it just spilled out.

"So was he cute?"

"Was who cute?"

"Whoever it was that kept you so long at the 7-Eleven." Kurt knew he should probably stop, but couldn't.

Blaine looked at Kurt and let out a sigh. "There was no one at the 7-Eleven, Kurt. I did, however, stop for some coffee to try to clear my head for a few minutes."

"Ok."

"And in the interest of full disclosure, I was approached by someone that wanted to sit with me. I think it was the only free seat in the place."

"Oh." Kurt's shoulders slumped as he leaned further back into the couch.

"And what exactly does that "oh" mean, beautiful? Does it mean "oh, you sat and had coffee with a perfect stranger, or oh, you got up from the table and came home to your family?"

"I guess the second one."

"You guess? Kurt, are we still there?"

"Sorry." Blaine scooted over on the couch and put his head in Kurt's lap. It was truly the safest place on earth.

Kurt reached down and ran his fingers through Blaine's curls. "So was he cute?"

"I don't know. I didn't look." It was the truth. When it came to other guys, Blaine had blinders on. There were no other guys. There was only Kurt.

"How could you not look?"

"Did you _want_ me to look?"

"Of course not. What did he sound like?"

Blaine rolled onto his back so that he was looking up at Kurt. "If you're wondering if he had a sexy voice like you, then I would have to say no. It was just a voice, Kurt. I can't describe it because I didn't pay attention."

"If you had to describe him to the police, could you?"

"Why, did he steal my wallet?"

"You're making fun of me."

"No. But you're being silly. Now what's going on? Why all the questions?"

"You didn't need me." Kurt made that face that Blaine loved—his bottom lip pouting, and his head turned away just a little."

"I always need you. That's a given."

"Then why did you have to go to have coffee by yourself?"

"Ahh…that's why you're all wound up." Blaine sat up and took Kurt's face in his hands. "You, my darling husband, read too much into everything. I wasn't trying to not be with you…I just needed to take a little break from the drama that is my life. Or was my life, before I met you." He leaned in and kissed Kurt on the lips, and smiled. "Now…about this boy's night with Finn…when does he want to do it?"

"I'm guessing this weekend."

"Ok, that gives us two days. " Blaine stood up from the couch.

"Two days for what?"

"To arrange financing to feed that brother of ours."

* * *

><p>As soon as they pulled up to the lake in the van, it started to rain. Softly, at first…then a down pour.<p>

Blaine jumped out of the drivers seat and pointed to the back of the van. "There's a few umbrella's back there."

"Oh my God, you two really are like old ladies." Puck walked back to grab the umbrellas, and opened one over Artie. "I don't want your gears getting all rusty."

"I'm not the Tin Man, Puck. But thank you." Artie pushed his chair so that Puck had to step it up to keep up with him. The others grabbed the coolers full of food and drinks. Blaine still couldn't bring himself to go to Mr. Collins' store. His store, now.

Once inside, they all threw their sleeping bags on the floor.

"I don't think it's fair that you two get to sleep in an actual bed. Whatever happened to courtesy for your guests?" Puck sat on the couch, and thought that he would actually stake his claim to it for sleeping later in the night. The others could rough it on the floor.

"Noah…it _is_ our house. Although, Artie…if you want to use the bed…"

"No, I'm good. I just hope no one minds if I need a ride to the bathroom."

"We've got you covered, bro. No worries." Finn and Sam both nodded in agreement. "You're in good hands. Well, not literally…but you know what I mean."

"Finn, I think you need to cease speaking right now."

"I'm hungry." Finn walked over to the coolers, and before he could open one, Mike put his foot on the lid to hold it closed.

"We just got here."

Kurt walked over to the window and pulled the curtain back. "It's miserable out there. And here I thought we would be able to go fishing." All of the other boy's heads snapped in the direction of Kurt.

"Are you freaking kidding me? Kurt, you get queasy holding a goldfish cracker."

"They make my fingers turn orange. Don't you hate that?"

Mike sat on the arm of the couch and surveyed the room. "Not much here for us to do with the weather like this."

Finn stood up and walked over to the closet. "Wait, the last time I was here I saw some games in here." He opened the door and looked inside. "Yep, here it is."

Puck took the box from Finn's hand. "Twister? Really?"

"Why not. It'll be fun." Kurt leaned in to whisper to Puck. "You do know your right hand from your left, don't you, Noah?"

"At what point did you become such a smart ass, Kurt? Gimme the box."

Blaine laid out the game mat, and they decided to go alphabetically. Blaine spun, and got right foot blue. He looked over at Kurt. "I should have worn looser pants."

They all laughed, and waited as Finn took a spin. "Left hand red." He crouched over and found himself awkwardly close to Blaine.

"You, sir, need to buy me dinner first." Blaine laughed at the look on Finn's face.

"Shut up. And stop looking at me."

"How can I stop looking at you? You're casting a shadow over the whole mat."

"My turn." Kurt took the game piece and flicked the arrow with his finger. When it finally stopped, he smiled.

"Left foot green. I love the color green." He squeezed onto the mat, and started to giggle to himself when he looked over at Finn. "You look uncomfortable."

"Don't worry about me, buddy. I'm fine. Mike, it's your turn"

"I think I'll pass."

Kurt began to pout. "Killjoy". He looked up at Puck. "Your turn, Noah."

Puck looked at them and shook his head. "There's a magazine out there somewhere that would pay big money for this picture."

Artie looked at Sam. "I'm almost thankful I can't be a part of this."

Sam nodded. "Agreed"

Puck looked at the board and then at the tangled mass of humanity on the mat. "Oh, no…I don't think so."

Kurt was still laughing. "What's wrong Noah? Do you need help? The one that looks like the sun is yellow…"

"Kurt, I swear. I used to like you." Puck moved to where the others were, got down and tried to put his left foot on a red dot. For a second, they all just looked at each other.

Sam leaned over to Mike. "Would it be rude for me to bow out now?"

Kurt tried to look over the web of bodies and called over to Sam. "Come on, Cowboy. It's your turn."

Blaine looked at Kurt. "Cowboy?"

Laughing, Kurt shook his head. "Just trying to make this game a little more…masculine…"

"Sweetie, I think we're way past that point right now."

Sam spun, and then looked at the mat. "Can I pick a different color?"

"No, you can't. Now get in here." Finn was praying that no one would lean on him and cause him to fall over.

Sam looked nervous as he tried to put his right hand on a green dot. The only one he could reach was the one that Kurt had his left foot on. He put his hand down, and Kurt started to laugh.

"Sam, you'll need to move your hand just a little bit. I don't know if I've mentioned that I'm ticklish."

Blaine nodded in agreement. "Very."

Puck let out a loud moan. "Is this really stuff that we need to know about you two?"

Blaine looked at Kurt and winked. Somehow, they had managed to have their hands touching.

"Hey!" Puck looked over at Finn. "That better be the spinner that's touching me…back there. And you…Kurt…it's right foot green…green…NOT groin."

Artie started laughing so hard that when they all turned to look at him, Finn lost his balance and fell across Kurt. As he tried to turn quickly so that he didn't hurt his brother, he brought his arm around and clipped Blaine across the front of his pants. The force took the wind out of him, and he was sprawled out on his back. Puck shook his head.

Blaine, Kurt and Finn were all lying there, like upended turtles.

"How do I explain to Burt that all three of his boys met their demise playing Twister? This is almost embarrassing."

"Finn…I think you broke my…stuff."

Kurt wasn't saying anything, and for a second Finn thought that he was hurt. He sat down next to him. "Hey…you ok, buddy?"

Kurt nodded. "I was just thinking about how much you remind me of Godzilla trampling a village. You don't play well with others, Finn." Kurt stood up, and then reached down to pull Blaine up. "You ok?"

Blaine's legs felt unsteady. "We may never have children."

Puck laughed out loud. "And this is a news alert?"

* * *

><p>David heard a light tapping on his office door, and looked up, smiling.<p>

"Well, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hannah walked over to one of the chairs in front of his desk and let out a sigh.

"This must be serious. Not even one sarcastic comment. Should I be worried?"

"David…can I talk to you…like a Dad?" She looked across the desk at him, and there were tears rimming her eyes.

"Hannah, sweetie, what is it? What's wrong?" He got up from his chair and walked around so that he was along side of where she was sitting. He knelt down and spoke softly. "You know that you can tell me anything. And, Hannah…you can think of me as your Dad, ok?"

As soon as he said that, she began to cry. "I don't know what I'm gonna do, David. I'm a horrible person."

"Well, we both know that isn't true." He turned to face her, sitting on the edge of his desk. "Now what is it? What's wrong with my favorite hipster?"

She laughed, and used the back of her hand to brush the tears away. "It's Finn."

Feeling immediately protective, David quickly responded. "Did he do something to you?" He knew better, really. Finn is a good kid, and he likes him a lot.

"No. It's what I think I'm going to do to him." She looked up at David, and for just a moment she looked like a little girl.

"I'm confused. Do you want to start at the beginning so that your old man here can catch up?"

Hannah moved uneasily in her seat. "David, you don't have to do that."

"Do what?"

"You have no responsibility to me. As much as I wish you were my father, I can't change history."

"Hannah Louise…have I ever once made you feel as if you were not family to me? Ever?"

Looking down at the floor, Hannah felt ashamed of herself. "No, David, you haven't. Not ever."

"Then tell me what's going on with Finn."

"I really like him. A lot. I mean, he's big and clumsy and goofy…but he's also the sweetest guy I've ever met. And he treats me…well, he treats me like I matter."

"Finn is a good guy, Hannah. I think you could do a lot worse."

"But it's complicated. I mean, what about Blaine?"

David was confused. "What about Blaine? Has he said something about you dating Finn?"

"No…no…I mean, let's face it. My contact with Blaine has been minimal to say the least. But, David…he's married to Finn's brother."

"Step-brother."

"Have you seen them together, David? There is no "step" there. They are brothers as if from the same parents. What if it doesn't work out? I really…David I really want to be part of this family. But if I date Finn, and it doesn't work out, then how can I be around Blaine…and, then…"

David noticed that Hannah was on the verge of tears, and it made him just want to hug her. "What is it, sweetie? And then…what?"

"And then I can't be around you. I can't have dad like everyone else." And then the tears came. David pulled her from her chair and hugged her tightly. This poor kid, for all of her confidence, was still just a little girl.

"Hannah, you know that you will always be a part of my life. Always have been. Always will be. I promise."

She pulled back and looked at him, smiling weakly. "Really?"

"Really. Now, why don't you go see that young man of yours?"

"He's away with the boys right now. But...there's…more…"

"Ok…I'm listening." David again leaned up against his desk. "Let's hear it."

"I don't know if I ever really told you how I met Finn. How well I…know him."

"You said you met him at a party."

"Something like that. I mean, yes, we met at a party, but…" She didn't want David to think less of her, but she didn't want to lie to him either. "We kind of…were together…"

He looked at her for what seemed like days before what she was saying finally sunk in. "Oh. I see."

"Do you?"

"Hannah, I can't say that I'm…pleased…about this…and I feel like right now I want to strangle Finn…but you know as well as I do that you've never done anything without thinking it through first. I wish you had thought about it for about another 10 years or so…."

"I just feel like…where is the mystery now, you know? Finn and I have already hit the finish line…the race holds no sense of excitement for him."

"I don't think that you're giving him enough credit, Hannah. I've found out in the short time that I've known him that Finn Hudson is a lot deeper than you think. But please be careful. I'm way too young to be a grandfather."

"Do you think less of me now?"

"I think that you, young lady, are extraordinary."

"I love you, David. In the best possible not really related but you mean the world to me way." She gave him another quick hug, and walked towards the door.

"Hannah…"

She turned towards David. "Yes?"

"You're nothing like her, you know."

"That, Daddy-O, is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to me."

* * *

><p>"Kurt, are you wearing an apron?" Sam tilted his head to look at the design.<p>

"These pants were expensive. I don't want to take any chances."

Finn and Puck were in the kitchen cooking the burgers, and once everything was ready, they all sat on the floor near the fireplace.

Blaine looked at Kurt, who was eyeing his burger with suspicion. Then he realized what was going on. Kurt was afraid of the juice dripping from the plate onto his clothes. He got up without a word, went into the kitchen, and grabbed one of the dishtowels. Standing next to Kurt, he leaned down and tucked it into his shirt. Before he walked away, Kurt reached over and touched the top of Blaine's shoe. Just for a moment. But long enough to bring a smile to Blaine's face.

Finn stared down at his food without speaking.

Artie looked at his friend sitting on the floor next to him, and put his hand on Finn's shoulder. "This is serious. You aren't eating."

Kurt stared at his brother for a moment, realizing that what had happened with Rachel was taking a toll on him. "Finn…we're here. Talk to us."

Finn put his plate down and looked at the faces staring back at him. He trusted every person in this room, and knew they would never judge him. And so he began.

"Ok…let me tell you about the most amazing girl in the world…"


	12. In This Corner

"She makes me feel like a grown up. Like a man." Finn looked around at his friends, waiting for someone to speak.

Finally Puck did. "So she's hot, and a miracle worker."

"Noah. Be serious." Kurt put his hand on Finn's knee. "When did you know? I mean, with Blaine, it was like this lightening bolt. I saw him. I was a goner."

"I don't know. You know, I think it may have been when she told me that I needed to talk to Rachel about this. Like…she was confident enough in me to send me off to do that."

Kurt reached for his napkin to wipe his mouth but couldn't find it. When Blaine realized what he was doing, he got up to grab another one for him. Handing it to Kurt, they exchanged a look that Finn immediately jumped on.

"See? That's what I want. Not a word between them, and yet they know exactly what the other one wants. Needs. I'm not saying that I deserve someone like Hannah…"

Artie looked confused. "Of course you do. Why not?"

"She's so smart, you know? Every conversation I have with her I just never want to end. It's what she says…the sound of her voice…"

Sam thought for a moment before speaking. "So what you're saying is that you think she's pretty…you think she's smart…you don't want to be without her…yeah, I think it's doomed."

Finn nodded. "I know. But I feel like I don't really have much to offer her, you know?"

"You have yourself, which is pretty amazing." Blaine spoke a little louder than he had wanted, but he got his point across. "Finn, I'm not going to let you sit there and talk about how little value you have. I won't allow you to talk about my brother like that."

They heard a noise and looked over at Puck, who had a napkin up to his eye.

"What are you all looking at? Can't a guy have a soft side?"

Finn let out a long sigh and stood up.

Blaine looked up at him. "You really are freakishly tall, Finn."

"And you, Blaine, are unnaturally short."

"I need to talk to Rachel, and let her know that I never meant to hurt her. I never meant to lead her on. She's a good girl. But I want to be with Hannah. I want to see where this goes. If she's…the one."

"Ok, if this town has one more teen wedding we're going to end up as one of those after school specials."

Mike, who had been quiet the whole time, reminded them of something. "You know, school is going to be starting soon. It's going to get really weird really fast if we can't all hang out together. The girls and us, I mean."

"I know that. I'll work it out. I promise. And I'm not getting married, Puck. I just want to be happy. I think I can be with her."

* * *

><p>"Dad, it's ridiculous. You own a garage. Why can't you do the oil change and…other thing?"<p>

"Tune up. And the van is covered under a warranty that includes these things. But they have to be done there, at the dealer. That's normal, Kurt."

Kurt leaned against the kitchen counter. "It's like asking Alexander McQueen to get his supplies at Fabric Barn."

"Isn't Alexander McQueen the guy who you wore black for on three consecutive days when he passed? I don't think he's gonna be shopping anywhere, kiddo."

Kurt looked as if he had been hit in the heart with an arrow. "When did you become so insensitive?"

"I'm plenty sensitive. But I'm also practical. How about doing what the expert says to do this time, ok?"

Burt laughed as Kurt walk away from him, waving his hands in the air. "Oohhh…the expert. And it was two days, Dad. Two days that I wore black. It was the right thing to do."

* * *

><p>"This is a weird color. What's it called?"<p>

Blaine held the paint can up at eye level and read. "I don't even want to say it out loud."

Finn walked over and took it out of his hand. "For crying out loud. Passion Fruit? Really?"

"Listen, I told him that we would paint these things any color he wanted."

"Ok…you need to start putting your foot down with that brother of mine. Especially about things…like this."

"What I don't get is why he even picked out wicker to begin with. He's not really a fan."

Finn stood back and looked at the elaborate white chair and side table.

"Oh, I think I know why he picked this chair."

Blaine stood next to Finn and took a long look. They both started laughing.

"I could be wrong, Blaine…but I do believe with that high back, it looks exactly like a throne."

He had to agree. "You know, when we saw this at that garden place near the mall…he kept saying there was "something about this chair" that spoke to him. Apparently it was saying, "This is the perfect place to rest thy regal butt."

"Garden shop? Kurt?"

"I know. But every once in a while he likes to play like the common folk."

They both laughed, and picked up their brushes again.

"So why isn't he here helping with this?"

Blaine tried to reply as best he could without it sounding mean. "Kurt. Hands. Dirty. Whining. Get the picture?"

"Got it. So where is His Highness right now?"

"He went to get some service done on the van. We wanted Burt to do it, but I guess it needs to be done at the place of purchase so as not to void any warranties on it. It has to last us a long time, so…we mind the rules."

"You know…I wonder if that weird guy still works there. Remember him? What was his name?"

Blaine had completely forgotten about that. "Paul. His name was Paul."

"Right, Paul. What a doofus. But he had it bad for Kurt."

"Yeah. He did. Did I ever tell you that he called he and left a message for him?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. Seriously." Blaine was beginning to feel like he should have gone with Kurt. Not that he didn't trust him. He didn't trust the other guy. Paul. Even the sound of his name left an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Kind of nervy. Did Kurt talk to him?"

"No. I deleted the message. But I told him about it."

"Good." There was a weird silence between them for what seemed like forever. Finn looked at Blaine, then put his brush down.

"Come on, Hobbit. Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"To make sure that Kurt knows what to ask for at the dealership."

"Finn…he'll be fine." Blaine wanted to go, but didn't want to say it out loud.

Finn took the brush from Blaine's hand and put it on top of the can. "I know."

He grabbed Blaine's shoulders and pushed him towards the door. As he turned the key in the lock outside, Blaine looked up at Finn.

"You're the best."

"And yet…I don't have a throne…"

* * *

><p>Kurt walked into the dealership and made his way up to the service desk. He cringed as the person that walked towards him extended a grease-covered hand. How he wished he could go back to a time in history where people wore gloves. He shook the man's hand and introduced himself. "I have an appointment to get my car tuned."<p>

The man with the name "Hank" on his shirt chuckled. "You mean, a tune up?"

He could feel the redness in his cheeks growing. "Yes. What you said."

Hank put his hand out, and Kurt just looked at it awkwardly. Was he looking for a tip?

"Your keys. I need them. And your name?" He took the keys from Kurt, who was holding them away from his body like a hand grenade.

"Hummel. Well, Anderson-Hummel. Kurt."

"Are you Burt Hummel's boy? I haven't seen you since you were about 10 years old. How are you?"

Kurt immediately felt a softening in his demeanor. "I'm good. Life is good."

"That's great to hear. Give my best to you father." Hank walked away and exited through a side door to get the van. Kurt moved towards the waiting area, and sifted through the magazines on the table. Popular Mechanics. Car and Driver. Sports Illustrated. Yeah, he thought to himself…this was going to be a long wait.

He didn't look up when he heard the bell on the door sound. He didn't have to. He heard them before he saw them.

"Finn, I swear, you have the biggest feet I've ever seen. It's like walking next to a circus clown."

"It was an accident. I can't help it if you have no coordination. Or dance moves, did I mention that?"

"This coming from someone who toddles around the dance floor like a baby with a full diaper."

Kurt smiled as they walked towards him. It actually took Blaine's breath away for just a second. That smile.

"What are you doing here? I said I could take care of it."

Finn walked over and grabbed one of the magazines. "We know. We got bored painting. And honestly, Kurt. That color."

"It makes a statement, don't you think?"

"Oh, it says stuff. I'll give you that."

While Kurt appreciated them checking on him, he really did want to prove that he could take care of this by himself. "I'm ok here, really."

Tossing the magazine back onto the table, Finn looked down at Blaine. "How about this…we leave Kurt here, and we'll go grab a pizza to bring back to the apartment. Deal?"

"Good. Now go. I'm fine."

After picking up the pizza, Blaine thought about Kurt's smile. They were only apart for a short time, and he missed him already.

"Finn, take me back to the dealership. I'm going to ride home with Kurt."

"Gross."

"What do you mean, gross?"

"I saw the way you looked at him. For crying out loud…let the new oil settle in the van first."

"Just drop me off. And you have a dirty mind. Not everything about us has to do with sex."

Finn shot him a look.

"I've slept on your couch, remember?"

* * *

><p>"Do my eyes deceive me?"<p>

Kurt looked up to see Paul looking down at him.

"Hello…Paul, is it?" Kurt picked up a magazine and flipped through it.

"Now that's not nice. I remember your name, Kurt."

"My apologies."

"So what brings you here? You aren't looking for another vehicle already?"

"No. Just having some service done."

"You know, I never bought that whole story about that big tall fellow being your boyfriend. He didn't seem your type."

Against his better judgment, Kurt put the magazine down. "And what type would that be?"

"Well, I really don't think that tall, dark and stupid is your kind of guy."

Kurt could feel himself getting angrier by the second. "See, that's my brother that you're talking about, and I believe you are way out of line. Shouldn't you be out there trying to scam someone into buying a car instead of bothering the customers?"

"Sorry, Kurt. I…well, I felt bad when you didn't call me back. I left you a message. Didn't you get it?"

"I got it. Perhaps _you_ aren't getting the message. I'm not interested. And I don't think my husband…"

"Wait. Hold on. Your husband? Come on."

Kurt held up his hand and showed Paul his wedding band. "Yes. My husband."

"Well, let it never be said that Paul Mathis isn't up for a challenge."

Kurt couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was this guy for real?

"I'm going to choose to ignore you now."

Paul looked at Kurt and smiled. Walking away, he mumbled something that Kurt wasn't able to understand. Better that way, he supposed.

After what seemed like an eternity, Hank came back with the keys. Kurt took them and walked over to the counter to see if anything else needed to be done before he left. Much to his annoyance, the only person at the counter was Paul.

"We have to stop meeting like this, Kurt." Paul pulled some paperwork from a pile next to him and looked it over. "I can make your next appointment for you now if you'd like."

"No. I think I'll be taking my vehicle elsewhere from now on. I don't like the atmosphere here. Or the help."

Paul slid a piece of paperwork in front of Kurt and waited for him to sign. Once he did, Kurt walked towards the door, just wanting to get out of there. As he was pushing it open, he heard one last comment coming from right behind him.

"Call me if you ever get tired of that husband of yours."

That was enough.

Just as Finn and Blaine were pulling back into the dealership, they saw, through the plate glass window, Kurt reach back and then forward, hitting Paul across the face and knocking him to the ground.

Blaine looked at Finn. "What the heck? Did Kurt just hit him?"

Finn brought his vehicle to a grinding halt and undid his seatbelt. "I don't believe it."

They both jumped out and ran towards the office, pulling the door open and barely squeezing through at the same time. They looked down at Paul, who was rubbing his cheek.

Finn turned to his brother. "Holy crap, Kurt. You dropped him like a bag of rocks."

Blaine walked over to Kurt and put his arm around him. "What happened? Are you ok?"

"I think I'd like to go home. I'm done here." Kurt rubbed his hand softly.

In the middle of everything, the keys had fallen from Kurt's hand onto the floor. As he picked them up, Hank appeared and looked down at Paul. He smiled and walked over to Kurt, reaching out his hand.

"Kid, I've been wanting to do that for month's"

* * *

><p>When they got home, Kurt walked over to the couch while Blaine went into the kitchen to put coffee on.<p>

"Do you want anything to eat?"

Kurt shook his head. "I'm going to end up in jail. What if he has me arrested for assault?"

Blaine walked over and sat down next to him, taking his hand in his and gently moving it to his lips. "I don't think that's going to happen." Blaine leaned over and kissed his neck.

"It's my hand that hurts." Not that he offered any resistance.

"I know. So what happened?"

"He's such a creep, you know? And why is it that whenever I tell anyone that I'm married they react as if it would be easier to believe that I was Jack the Ripper."

"It's our age, love. Nothing deeper or more sinister than that."

"Why did you come? You and Finn?"

"Moral support. I know how you hate anything related to cars or grease."

"That's not true."

"Really? When was the last time you stepped foot into Burt's place?"

Kurt pondered the question. "I think I was eight."

"A slight exaggeration, but I get your point. I just wanted to make sure you were…ok. You're my husband. I get to worry. It's in the rule book."

"I'm not ok." Kurt leaned in and put his head on Blaine's shoulder. "What if I end up in a cell with some big guy in an orange jumpsuit that wants to make an honest woman out of me?"

Blaine laughed out loud, and got up to pour their coffee. "I can't imagine you leaving me for someone that wears orange. I'm sorry. It just won't happen. Besides, Kurt, I don't see him making a big deal out of it. He'll have to admit that he was harassing you. And let's face it…based on the reaction of his co-worker, I don't think Paul is going to win any popularity contests."

"My hand hurts."

Blaine sat back down and started to rub Kurt's fingers, tracing his thumb between them while Kurt put his head back on the couch.

"Blaine?"

"Kurt?"

"What would you do if something happened to me? Like if I was sent away?"

"Kurt, I told you, that's not going to…"

"I know. Humor me."

These were the times when Blaine needed to choose his words carefully. Every so often Kurt gets anxious about them being separated. Or their own mortality, even though they have, hopefully, many years ahead of them. Maybe it had to do with losing his mother so young, Blaine thought. But he wanted Kurt to know that he took his fears seriously. They were very real to him.

"Sweetie…I would miss you more than I can put into words. I would wait for you however long you were away from me. And visit you every day. Because you are my heart, Kurt…and I wouldn't be able to live without that."

Kurt smiled for a moment, and then looked over at Blaine with those beautiful eyes. Taking Blaine's hand in his, he went to place it over his own heart. And then he stopped.

"What is it, Kurt? What's wrong?"

Kurt looked down at Blaine's hand. His wasn't wearing his wedding ring.

"Where is it, Blaine?" There was a catch in Kurt's voice that said more than his words did.

"I was painting, Kurt. I didn't want to get anything on it. Don't you ever take yours off?"

"Have you ever seen me without it?"

Blaine thought about it. He hadn't. "No."

"Then there's your answer. Can you please put it back on?"

"Baby, of course I can. I just didn't want anything to happen to it, ok?"

Kurt nodded, and Blaine walked over to the kitchen counter, where he had left it earlier. He felt a knot in his stomach as he noticed the empty space. Looking around the sink, where he thought perhaps it had fallen, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he turned around to face Kurt.

It was gone.


End file.
